


Snapdragon

by MoodyKitsune



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Abduction, Continuation, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Grief/Mourning, MacGuffins, Multiverse, Music, Orphan - Freeform, Past Violence, Performance Art, UnderHell Universe, transformations, unrequieted love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2020-07-09 16:22:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 29,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19890790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoodyKitsune/pseuds/MoodyKitsune
Summary: While Annisa is settling in with the Holtz pack, she crosses path with an interesting monster





	1. New Home

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [My Shifty Pet](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18465985) by [RoseDarkfire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoseDarkfire/pseuds/RoseDarkfire). 



> This is a continuation of Annisa's story from [Enter the Dragon](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19837609)
> 
> Song List  
> [Brand New Day](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bkoNylo4pU)  
> (The show Lie To Me used this song as it's beginning theme song)  
> [Magic Man](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vlAdMeZSfw)  
> [Hope of Morning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GegW6xnsz7w)  
> [White Rabbit](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUY2kJE0AZE)  
> [Set Fire to the Rain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj3nFNIV2jY)

_The blade bit easily into the soft flesh of his neck, sliding through like a warm knife through a stick of butter. Blood sprayed all over the steering wheel, dashboard, and windshield. He choked and sputtered, uselessly trying to inhale—_

Annisa’s eyes opened. She blinked up at her ceiling. The only time she didn’t have trouble waking up was when she dreamed about that. It always made her wake up immediately, whether it was in the middle of the night or, as in this case, early morning. There would be no more sleep for her, even if the sun hadn’t quite woken up either. She sat up and looked around her room. The room she’d been given was more than enough for her. It even came with an attached bathroom? Sweet. She would have liked to have her own kitchen but the one here was state of the art so she couldn’t be too disappointed.

She’d finally unpacked last night, putting all her clothes in the available closet and wardrobe. She approached her wardrobe and selected work out gear, settling on a teal moisture wicking shirt and yellow leggings, forgoing shoes for now. Padding to her bed, she grabbed her staff and headed out into the hall. The house was quiet, the other members likely still sleeping or enjoying quiet activities. The air was cool outside but not intolerable, besides, she’d warm up soon enough.

Finding a suitable spot, she leaned her staff against a tree and started with stretches. With all the excitement, she hadn’t really been able to go through her exercises in a few days since she’d done them and she didn’t want to get rusty. She stilled herself and took a deep breath before she began moving through the footwork and arm positions slowly. She seemed to pause between each stance before moving to the next, then the next. As she continued, her movements became smoother until she was going through the _jurus_ in a continual rhythm, almost like a dance. After a while, she grabbed her staff to work with it as well.

She stopped when the sun came up and went for a run. The property was expansive and gorgeous. Annisa had been unbelievably grateful when they’d given her their decision. A new home. She was still reeling from it all. She supposed while it was new to her, her ancestor, the one who had been given the reality bending backpack had once called this area home before they’d left, scattered by the monumental defeat of the monsters by the humans. She admired Rayven’s family for staying here, waiting for their return. Hearing news of their return had inspired her to do the same. Besides, she didn’t want to stay where she’d been, even if her grandmother was still there. It was…uncomfortable.

Annisa came to a stop near the Alphas’ cottage. She didn’t approach, though, they’d probably still be sleeping. She panted as she watched the sun climb above the horizon and her mouth curled slightly. Today would be her first official day working for Flare. She’d been rehearsing like a fiend and she felt confident about her set. She’d decided on a mix of old and newer songs; a set of five. She’d heard Rayven also sang there and Annisa had the thought that maybe the Alpha would like to sing a number or two with her. She flushed at the thought _, No way…maybe?_ She shook her head.

“Mornin’ kid.” A deep voice piped up behind her.

Annisa squawked and whipped around. Axe stood there, his red eye fixed on her, his grin broad and sharp.

“Alpha!” She put her palms together and bowed her head in greeting.

Axe sighed, “Kid, we talked about this. Just call me Axe. Ya know, unless I’m reamin’ ya.”

“S-sorry…Axe. Good morning!” She beamed up at the large skeleton monster. Not only were monsters free, one of them was her Alpha! How cool was that?

“Yer up early.” He commented, “Couldn’t sleep?”

She decided not to point out that he was also up early and shook her head, “I slept alright. I just…a dream woke me up, is all. I usually can’t get back to sleep after that particular dream, so…” she rubbed her arm, looking away.

He didn’t say anything for a few beats, “Was it about what ya told us about? The one who killed yer parents?”

Annisa stopped rubbing her arm and simply hugged herself now, “Yeah.” She replied simply.

“Ya regret it or somethin’?”

“No.” her answer was immediate and she met Axe’s gaze, “But, taking a life is a big deal.”

Axe hummed, “If ya do it enough, ya begin to forget that fact.” He mused aloud, “Ya ever talk about it with anyone before? I mean, really talk about it.”

Annisa shook her head mutely and Axe raised his brow bones and shoulders, watching her expectantly. It took her a moment to understand before, “He was my dad’s friend. Like, his best friend. I didn’t like him, though. Well, not until I got older and noticed how he looked at my mom. My old clan wasn’t like this; they only had Komodo dragons but my dad fell in love with my mom, an Eastern Taipan shifter. A lot of the clan members criticized him but he was well regarded and his bloodline was…revered. He didn’t back down and they accepted her reluctantly.

“I think it also helped that when I came along, I turned out to be a dragon too, so…they kinda got off her back.” She took a deep sharp breath inward, her shoulders rising and falling with it, “He’d look at her sometimes like he despised her but there’d be this…desire too. Like, he wanted her too despite himself. It was gross. I told her what I saw and she told me not to worry about it. He stopped coming around as much and things seemed fine but…something started happening to my dad. They got into arguments more often; they tried to stay quiet but, hello, super hearing.” She snorted, gesturing to her ears and Axe nodded, staying quiet.

“It all happened so gradually too. The night it all went bad; he went drinking with his friend. It was something they always did but it was an odd night for it. I remember asking my dad to stay but he said he’d promised…and him and mom had had a disagreement about something that day. He promised he wouldn’t be out too late. By the time he got home, mom had already sent me to bed. Their argument woke me. It was loud. The loudest it had ever been. I was terrified and I wish…I wish I’d gone out there sooner but by the time I finally gathered up the courage it had gotten quiet.” Annisa stopped talking, reaching up to touch her face. Her fingers came away wet and she frowned at them.

“Kid—”

She continued as if she hadn’t heard him, “I got to the living room and my dad was holding my mom’s body in his arms. His crying had finally gotten me out of my room. He was cradling her in his arms, begging her to wake up. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak. He’d broken her neck and she was gone. I didn’t see the knife in his hand until it was too late. He didn’t see me until he’d already dragged the blade across his throat.” She croaked out the last part, clenching her hand into a fist. She jumped a little as an enormous skeletal claw swallowed up her comparatively small hands. She looked up in surprise, his fangy smile had fallen and he was regarding her seriously. He released her hand but said nothing, only nodded once.

She gathered herself, dropping her hand, “His blood smelled funny. I called my grandmother; I called the Alpha and they confirmed it.” She grinned savagely up at him suddenly, “Murderer didn’t count on my amazing sense of smell.” The grin faded though, “He’d been drugging my dad. Just a little bit to make him more…susceptible to whatever garbage he’d been saying about my mom. He’d gotten impatient, though, and gave him more than usual to hurry things along.” She snorted out a mirthless laugh, “You know when they interrogated him, he said he hadn’t thought my dad would kill her, just kick her out? What a crock!

“It was an open and close case. The night before his execution, I tried to tell them he’d try to escape. My dad used to tell me there wasn’t a lock that he couldn’t pick. They didn’t listen on account I was just a kid, so I waited. He took the guard’s car since it was the closest one to where they were holding him. Now that I think about it, it was a lucky guess on my part. He drove and drove then stopped to rant and rave and laugh about how he’d gotten away. He laughed his stupid head off until I popped out of the backseat and slit his throat.” She’d remembered the shock on his face in the rearview mirror. He hadn’t had time to react before she’d struck.

In his desperation, he’d managed to get the car door open and flop out onto the ground. She’d gotten out much slower and followed as he’d tried to crawl away. The cut was too deep for even his accelerated healing to handle. She remembered kicking his body over so she he was laying on his back. It had been dark but the diffused light from the car’s headlights had made it so she could see him clearly. She watched as he gripped his throat with one hand, trying to stem the flow of arterial blood leaking out onto the ground, his other hand reaching out towards her. He’d tried to say something.

His hand finally flopped onto the ground, though, his words going with him to the grave as the life slowly leaked out of his eyes and he lay still before her. Her clanmates hadn’t been far behind and that was how they found her; standing over his cooling body, the bloody blade still gripped in her small hand.

That big hand returned, this time landing on her head and ruffling her hair, “Hey!” She protested.

“Thanks for telling me, Kid.” He spoke up again.

Annisa peered up at him then glanced down, “Never told anyone the whole thing like that.” She mumbled.

Axe grunted, “Ya come and talk to me or Angel anytime.”

She frowned before she realized that “Angel” must be Rayven.

“Thanks.” She nodded, “I will.” She sighed, “It feels…lighter now, though. You know, I didn’t talk for six months after that? Unbelievable since it’s hard to get me to shut up nowadays!” She laughed.

He ruffled her head again, “Argh!” She pushed his hand away, laughing for real this time. She looked up to see his grin was back.

“Ya need a lift back?” He asked.

She shook her head, “I’ll finish my run then I gotta stretch. Thanks for this, Alp—I mean, Axe!” She waved and started heading back.

He waved back, “No problem, Kid."

The anxiety was back. Annisa took a deep breath and let it out. It didn’t help much, though. The butterflies in her stomach were going absolutely ballistic. Hands clapping down on her shoulder had her jumping with an undignified squeak. She turned to see Sly grinning down at her, “Ya ready? Ya look like you’re about to walk the plank!”

She smiled shakily up at him, “At least on the plank, they aren’t expecting you to sing…” she warbled.

“Ya’ll do great! You’ve been practicing with that new guitar like a crazy woman. Speedster ‘n’ me’ve got your back.” He reassured her.

Another deep breath and his words seemed to work a little but her stomach still felt a little wibbly. She’d been over the moon when Sly and Speedster had agreed to play with her. She’d heard that Axe could also jam out too but hadn’t asked because this first performance was really dedicated to him, Rayven, Snow, and her new boss Flare. Also, she figured he’d want to be up on stage with his mate anyway.

Sly looked past her, “Showtime.” He drawled and Annisa squeaked again as he spun her around and marched her on stage. She scooped up her guitar and settled in front of the microphone as applause and cheers greeted them. Sly was hyping it up, of course and she couldn’t help but grin, more of her anxiety leeching away.

She finally allowed herself to look at their audience, _Cripes is the whole pack here?!_ She thought incredulously. Steeling herself she smiled and waved, “Thank you for coming out! Whew, look at this crowd! I’m honored!” She gestured to Speedster and Sly, “Ya’ll already know the master of drums Speedster and Sly Man, here. The only reason I’m up here tonight for the first time is because the incredible Flare has allowed me to perform in his fine establishment. Thank you, Boss!” She gave a flourishing bow to Flare who gave her a salute, “My name is Annisa, and we’re here to rock your world!” Amidst cheers and applause, they launched into the first song.

I stayed in one place for too long

Gotta get on the run again

I saw the one that I want

Hell bent, get out of bed

I’m throwing rocks at your window

You’re tying bedsheets together

They say we are dreaming too big

I say this town’s too small

Dream

Send me a sign

Turn back the clock

Give me some time

I need to break out

And make a new name

Let’s open our eyes

To a brand new day

It’s a brand new day

_Okay, bopping heads, that’s a good sign_ , Annisa thought as the three of them harmonized the vocalization, gosh they sounded so good, she couldn’t believe they wanted to sing with her.

I’ve taken hits like a brawler

But I’m getting back up again

And from the moment I saw him

I was hell bent with heaven sent

I’m throwing rocks at your window

We’re leaving this place together

They say we’re flying too high

Well get used to looking up

By this time, the nerves were a thing of the past, she was fully in the swing of things. She’d always loved this song; from the moment she’d heard it at the beginning of that cerebral TV show. Her love for it had grown when she’d heard the full song. She wasn’t sure if it was her anthem or not, after all, she didn’t want to leave this town but it did feel like every day was brand new. They jammed through the bridge and the finally chorus and it was perfect, everything was just perfect. Annisa looked over at Sly at the round of applause, bumping the side of her fist against his and nodding back at Speedster.

She bowed to her audience, “Thank you! But don’t think we’ll leave you hangin’; there’s more to come so strap in!” She called out. The set went beautifully. By the end of it, she was happy the sparkly pink dress she’d chosen was sleeveless. She saw Flare hide a laugh as she got to the chorus of their final song. All too soon, though it was over and they were bowing out. Annisa threw her arms around Sly and Speedster.

“Thankyouthankyouthankyou, you guys are awesome!”

“Ya nailed it too, darlin’! A good, strong start!” Sly replied happily.

Bleary eyes Annisa looked up at him, “Thanks.” Her voice came out wobbly, “I’m so glad I decided to come here.”


	2. Snake Bit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annisa meets Hell, things go sideways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's just jump into it, shall we?

Annisa hummed to herself as she walked down the street. She’d just picked up her dress from the dry cleaner and it was safely ensconced in one of those floaty plastic bags and slung over her back, partially covering her ever-present backpack. When she turned down the corner, she noticed this street was pretty quiet, which made her hum louder. She was passing an alleyway when she got to the song’s only lyric.

“Tequila.” She drawled as a splash of color caught her attention. She stopped at the mouth of the alley and frowned. Annisa stiffened as what she was looking at made sense then hurried into the alley towards the body propped up against the wall at the very back. The red hoodie was what had caught her attention, they were slumped forward, the hood up so she couldn’t see their face.

“Hey!” She called, kneeling down before them, “Hey, are you okay?” She asked. They didn’t respond and she dropped her dress on the ground and reached forward to push the hood back. Her breath caught in her throat at what she saw. Her hand smoothed over a skeletal head as she pushed the hood back, revealing him.

“...Axe…?” Her voice warbled uncertainly. The closed sockets snapped opened abruptly, a purple light blazing in the socket and a skeletal had shot forward, fingers wrapping around her neck, “URK!” Her eyes widened and she grabbed at his wrist with her hands.

“What—Where?!” his deep voice was hoarse as the purple light darted around, trying to take in and make sense of his surroundings.

“L-let go!” Annisa rasped, tugging at his wrist, her restricted air supply making her feel light headed.

The eye light focused on her now and his mouth curled into a sinister grin, “Eh? What did you think you were doing, Human? Didn’t anyone ever teach ya to let sleepin’ dogs lie? No? Well,” he chuckled darkly, “Your mistake.” His grip tightened and Annisa had to force herself not to panic. She released his wrist and began feeling around on the ground at her side. Her hand closed on what she was looking for and she smacked the dress right into his face, the thin plastic clinging to him.

“What the--?!” He snarled, trying to free himself. His grip loosened on her a bit. Her other hand balled into a fist and armored scales began forming, enclosing her hand and digits until it looked like a scaly gauntlet. The unknown skeleton who bore a striking resemblance to her Alpha if his head didn’t have that giant hole in it finally pulled the dress and bag from his head. As soon as he was free, her fist shot out, connecting with his check.

The blow made his head snap the side and he stilled before finally turning his head, pushing her fist back, his purple eye light flickering to a red. His grin widened, “Well…now we’re talkin’?” He growled amusedly. He released her to her surprise and she slumped taking in gasping breaths. She could feel more of her scales appearing, still hidden beneath her clothes mostly but they started creeping up her neck. Her reprieve was short-lived as she felt something else grab her. The sensation was odd, like someone had gripped something deep in her core. Her confusion turned to alarm as she suddenly rocketed backwards. She hit the ground and rolled, her backpack flying off somewhere. She didn’t have time to wonder because she was suddenly airborne. She stared down at her opponent who was standing now, albeit still slumped heavily against the wall behind him, his hand was outstretched. He flicked his wrist and she hurtled to the side, crashing into the side of one of the buildings that created the alleyway. She gasped at the impact, managing to make sure her head didn’t hit. Her body had left a dent in the brick they crumpled a bit as her body was ripped into the opposition direction, slamming into the other wall. She wasn’t as lucky this time, her took a glancing blow and she saw stars.

The grip relented and she dropped gracelessly to the ground. She knew the only reason she was still alive now was because of her natural armor but it still hurt. He was definitely trying to kill her and while a distant part of her brain whispered that it would be alright, the louder part of her was completely ticked off. He’d been injured, she knew she’d smelled blood on him. The fact that he was having trouble standing on his own was testament to that and how had he paid her back?

_By rag-dolling me, the jerk._ Speaking of the jerk, she could hear him shuffling towards her.

“Heh, ya all done, Human? Welp, can’t say I’m surprised. Don’t worry, I’ll finish ya off nice and quick. Bet that hurt.” He sounded amused and Annisa fumed, waiting him out. He thought she was dying.

_That’s right bonehead, just a little closer…_ she thought gleefully as she felt her fangs descend.

He groaned as he knelt down and she felt him reach out and grab the front of her shirt to haul her up. Pulling a copy-cat of his maneuver earlier, her eyes snapped open and she grabbed him in turn, jerking him forward. Opening her mouth, she aimed for his neck. Her fangs met with the cervical vertebrae at the side of his neck and her jaw muscles tensed as she bit down. She felt and heard the crunch of bone. While her other form favored her father’s side, her mother had given her a few genetic gifts; a descending set of fangs and one of the most power venoms on the planet, to name a couple. She had no idea how it would affect a monster who didn’t have a traditional circulatory system but she’d make him pay for what he’d done, even if it was just a bit of pain.

As the venom pumped into her target, she winced as he roared in pain. A second later he shoved her back and shoved her roughly her against the wall. Completely unprepared, her head slammed back against the unforgiving surface and there was a flash of light in her vision before everything went black.

She shifted under the soft blanket, burrowing further, _This is nice…_ she thought drowsily and was about to go back to sleep when memories came rushing back. She stiffened. It was quiet and she was laying on something soft, wrapped in a blanket. She parted her lips and inhaled. None of the scents coming to her were familiar…well, there was one but it was a recent scent and it wasn’t a good sign that she was smelling it now. She opened her eyes and slowly peeked out from under the blanket. She was laying on a blue couch in what looked like a living room.

“Finally. You’re awake.” A rough female voice sounded behind her and she jumped. Swallowing she turned slowly peering over her shoulder. Sitting in an easy chair near a unlit hearth was a blue fish woman. Her crimson bangs nearly hid the black eyepatch over her left eye. The uncovered eye had red sclera and the black pupil was fixed on her currently. The monster woman smiled, flashing impressive fangs and closing the book she was reading.

“Honestly, both of you sleep like the dead. It was like you were having a competition. Sans, won, though, he’ll be out for a few more hours.” The woman continued casually. She stood and walked over, making Annisa tense.

“Don’t freak out on me, Guppy. Ain’t gonna hurt ya. Just want to see how your head is doing.” She raised her clawed, webbed hands, her smile becoming wry.

“My head…?” Annisa croaked, reaching up to her forehead. Her fingers ran into a bandage and her brows raised in surprise. Her head didn’t hurt anymore, she’d mostly likely healed while she slept.

“It’s okay, I’m fine. I heal fast.” She explained.

The woman knelt next to the couch as Annisa sat up and unwrapped the bandage.

“Is that so? Well, great!” Her smile fell and she fixed her red eye on Annisa’s own, “So, now the million G question; what are ya?” She gestured towards Annisa, “Ya look human but I ain’t seen a human with scales or claws like that before.”

Annisa frowned and lifted her other hand, “Oh.” She hadn’t shifted her hand back; each finger was tipped with a wickedly curving claw and her entire hand was covered with scales that travelled up and terminated at her elbow. She pulled her shirt…sweater? What was she wearing? She looked down at the stripped gray sweater she was wearing which looked very similar to the black stripped one her host was wearing.

“You…dressed me?”

She grunted, nodding once, “Ya got scales everywhere, guppy. Ya gonna answer my question? You ain’t no mage, are ya?”

Annisa’s nose wrinkled immediately in distaste, “Heck no! I’m a…uh, shifter. Komodo dragon. Hence, the scales.” She wiggled her scaly fingers.

“Hmph! Well, your SOUL is similar to a human’s but we already got one for Justice, and Sans told me to keep an eye on you so you could fix him, so here we are.”

“I’m in the underground?!” Annisa yelped.

She frowned, “Yeah, where else would you be? Didn’t you fall down here?”

“Uh…well, I did fall…” Where was she? For real? All the monsters were out of the underground. She covered her face and took a deep breath.

“What did ya do to him? He appeared with you, told me to keep an eye on you and then passed out.”

Annisa couldn’t help the savage smile that curved her lips, “Knocked him out, eh? I was trying to kill him.” She growled.

“Come again?” An answering growl.

She dropped her hands and turned to look squarely at the fish woman who was glaring daggers at her, “I found that skeletal jerk passed out in an alley way and when I went to help, he attacked me! I know he meant to kill me so I bit the crap out of him.”

One eye blinked and she relaxed, a crooked smile appearing “Heh. You held you own against Sans? That’s pretty impressive. Eh, sorry about him, though, he’s not too friendly. Thinks mercy is useless or some nonsense.” She blew out a breath, “Anyway, ya want breakfast, Guppy?”

Annisa perked up, “Always!”

“HA! Great! I’m Undyne, by the way. That punk lives with me. Welcome to Deadin.”

Hell groaned as he woke up. Everything hurt. The worst of it was on the side of his neck. That little…she’d bit him! Not only had she bit him, that part had hurt enough but the subsequent burning sensation that seemed to travel through his bones made him wince now. He lifted his hand to look at it, concentrating on his magic. When nothing happened, he snarled, whatever that girl had done, his magic wasn’t responding to him. His attention was caught by the sound of female laughter. He recognized Undyne’s voice but there was another. His entire being seemed to jolt and he jerked upwards and rolled out of bed, which was the worst thing he could have done because pain wracked his pain and instead of rolling to his feet as he’d intended, he simply fell out of bed with a loud _WHUMP!_

The chatter paused and then he heard Undyne, “YOU UP, LAZY BONES? GET OUT HERE, DINNER’S ALMOST READY!”

He groaned and climbed to his feet, hobbling to the door, throwing it open. He wasn’t looking forward to the stairs. He tried his shortcut but nothing happened and he cussed under his breath, descending the stairs. When he finally reached the kitchen, he paused and scowled. Both women were wearing aprons as they prepared dinner. The girl turned first, her dark eyes landing on him immediately before returning his scowl.

“Jerk’s here.” She grumbled, turning away.

“Huh? Oh, Sans! Sit down, we’re just about done. He opened his mouth to reply when he caught the scent that permeated the kitchen. It was a new one and despite himself, his mouth began to water. He shuffled to the table and took a seat. It had already been set, which was a relief; they wouldn’t ask him to do it. He didn’t notice Annisa’s approach but jumped when she set his dish down in front of him a little louder than strictly necessary. He looked over at her, grimacing at the ominous smile that curled her mouth.

“Try not to choke, yeah?” her tone cool.

He looked down at the steaming dish before him. It was some kind of meat…curry, over rice. It smelled delicious but he didn’t recognize it. He pointed, “What is this?”  
“Beef rendang.” She said shortly before turning away. Undyne passed her and placed a glass of milk near his plate.

“You might want this. This dish is pretty spicy!” She grinned down at Hell before turning away as well to get her own dishes and milk.

Undyne settled at the head of the table and Annisa across from him. They watched him once they were seated and he realized that were waiting for him to try the dish before they got started. He picked up his spoon, scooping some of the rendang up with some rice and put the spoon in his mouth. Flavor exploded in his mouth, making him brows raise, the mix of spices was delicious but the heat soon followed and he squinted at the intensity. He swallowed and cleared his throat, reaching for the milk. He was taking a swig when he glanced at Annisa, freezing at the smug look on her face.

He scowled and put the glass down, noticing that she didn’t have milk by her plate, instead it looked like some kind of juice?

“Well?” Undyne pulled him from his staring contest with the brat. He looked over at her then at his plate

“S’fine.” He mumbled.

“Ha! Hear that, Nis? He likes it!” Undyne crowed triumphantly before picking up her own utensil and digging in, “Hooo, that’s spicy!” She laughed but continued digging in.

Hell snorted and glanced over at Annisa who was also giving Undyne a rueful smile. She caught him looking and it dropped abruptly, she concentrated on her own plate. She didn’t reach for her drink at all as she ate. Feeling challenged he tucked into his own plate, not realizing that a purple flush was spreading across his face. As the heat in his mouth increased, the one in his bones decreased and by the time he finished his plate, his mouth on fire, he was feeling much better.

Dinner continued without incident, they finished off the food and Undyne and Annisa cleaned up before returning to the table. When Undyne pointed out that he wasn’t going to help, she’d rolled her eyes, “Of course he isn’t.” He didn’t know why it rankled and that fact made him even angrier. It wasn’t like he could make her pay for it either with his magic on the fritz. 

Speaking of that, “Oy, what did you do to me? You gotta fix it.” He growled at her back.

Annisa blinked looking up from her work before she turned to face him, glaring balefully, “Why should I? You’re the one that attacked me! And now I learn you’ve abducted me too!”

“Uh, Sans, what’s the matter with ya, anyway?”

“Aside from the obvious.” Annisa snarked.

“Watch it, brat.”

She rolled her eyes, galling him as she turned her back to finish cleaning up, effectively dismissing him.

He focused on Undyne, “My magic…I can’t use it.”

Undyne’s eye stretched, “None at all? Not even for shortcuts?”

He shook his head. A sound made him refocus on the source of his tribulation. Her body was shaking and an odd snorting noise made him frown. She finally tipped her head back and guffawed at the ceiling. Was she kidding right now?!

She turned back towards him, her dark eyes sparkling, “That’s what my venom did? You can’t use your magic now? Welp, that’s just too bad.” She sniggered.

Hell stood, taking a threatening step forward, “Why you--!” He didn’t get any other words out as she stopped laughing abruptly and launched herself at him, tackling him. He went down with her on top but their inertia continued them forward and they ended up rolling out of the kitchen into the living room, grappling each other, yelling and cussing (that was mostly Hell) at each other. They finally came to a stop behind the couch with Annisa on top, hands balled into the neck of his sweatshirt.

Her teeth were bared, her eyes spitting fire down at him as she snarled. _Well, isn’t that impressive_ , he thought distantly. The only one who dared look at him that way nowadays was Undyne, everyone else cowered before him. Then again, she hard too at one time but fear was far from her expression now. Before she could do anything, Undyne came up behind her, grabbed the back of her sweater, and hauled her off of him. While her human hand dislodged from his outer garment, her claws had punctured through the material and were now tangled up. When she got hoisted up, Hell got dragged to his feet. He frowned and began pulling at her hand and his sweatshirt, trying to dislodge it and not having much luck.

Annisa watched him struggle for a moment, ignoring whatever Undyne was saying. He looked so put-upon. The purple flush was back and he was sweating again but not because of spicy food. She grudgingly admitted she was impressed he’d been able to stomach the dish, even going so far as to forego his milk after that initial swig. Laughter bubbled out of her again, “Stop, you’ll make it worse.” She burbled.

A purple eye light flickered up to her, “Put me down for a sec, Undyne?” She turned her head. The large fish woman obliged and she stood before him and gently disentangled her fingers one at a time. Apparently satisfied that they had calmed down, Undyne stomped back to the kitchen, leaving them alone, “So what happened to make you such a big jerk, Jerk?” She asked.

“Brats like you, Brat.” He quipped.

“My name is Annisa.” She grumped.

“And mine is Hell. I’d say nice to meet ya—”

“No, you wouldn’t. You have no manners.” She cut him off, making him growl.

“I thought your name was Sans.”

“Call me. Hell.” He stated, his tone brooking no argument.

She shrugged, unconcerned, “Well, Hell’s Bells…”

He sighed noisily and she snorted. She finally finished and flexed her claw, looking up at him with a raised brow before turning and walking away, plopping down on the couch with a sigh, “Looks like I’m stuck here so you wanna explain where I am and why I’m Underground?”

He straightened his sweatshirt noticing the fresh holes there. He grumped but also rounded the couch and sat on the opposite end, “Took you to my home universe.” He explained shortly.

Annisa raised her brows at him, “’Universe’? You trying to tell me that there are other universes?”

“Yeah. This is the UnderHell universe.”

Her jaw dropped, “Wait, what’s my universe called?”

 _Catches on quick_ , he thought, “Ya got a monster that looks like me, what’s he look like?” He asked.

She nodded, “One red eye, giant hole in his head.”

“HorrorTale.” He replied immediately.

“Wait, wait, wait!” She held up her hands, facing him fully on the couch, “You’re telling me that, not only is there a multiverse, but they all have a certain name, there are multiple versions of you in these universes?”

He shrugged, “That’s how it was explained to me.”

“By whom?”

“A version of me that knows all this stuff.” He shrugged. He’d managed to get Ink to give him a bit of information before the spaz forgot what he’d been doing…and barfed ink all over the ground. Nowadays, he knew a number of things too since he was no also able to travel to the other universes but he didn’t mention it. He wondered why he was even answering her questions, then again, he couldn’t talk to anyone else about this stuff; Undyne was still bound by Resets.

She was quiet for too long. He finally looked over at her to see her staring into her lap, fiddling with her claw, “Ya gonna do something about that?” He gestured at her.

“Hm? Oh...” She looked at her hands before taking a breath and closing her eyes. He watched her lift her head, wondering what she was doing until he noticed more dark scales appearing, creeping up her neck, up to her cheeks before stopping there. Her human hand gained scales and claws and her body shifted and he stared in shock as a thick scaly tail flopped off the edge of the couch behind her. When she opened her eyes, they were amber with a yellow ring around her pupils.

“There. Do I look suitably monster-like?” She asked, showing off.

“That was freaky. What are ya?”

“Shifter.” She replied shortly before standing and he noticed that her legs all the way to her calves were also covered in scales. He also noticed she wasn’t actually wearing pants. 

The sweater, which he recognized as Undyne’s was long enough that it covered everything but, “Why aren’t ya wearing pants?!” He shouted suddenly, purple blazing across his face, averting his eyes. How had he not noticed?!

“My pants are too big for her.” Undyne entered the living room, done in the kitchen “Lend her a pair of your shorts, will ya, Sans?”

“Why do I need—”

“You tried to kill me and you also abducted me, Hells. I think you can spare me a pair of shorts, hm?” Annisa ticked off two fingers and wiggled them at him.

Hell grumbled, “Whatever.”

“Ooh, I’ll pick them! Do you have ones that aren’t black? Where’s your room?” She hurried up the stairs.

“Hey wait a minute!” He called after her and was about to follow but was stopped by Undyne.

“Ya gotta go see Alphys in the morning.”

Hell stilled and looked up at her. Her expression was carefully inscrutable, “Ya sure?”

Undyne shook her head, averting her gaze, “Take the guppy. Go while I’m at work...”

Hell rubbed the back of his skull, “Yeah, yeah.” He swored irritably, “We’re gonna have to walk.” He groaned.

Undyne snorted “It’ll do ya good, lazy bones!” She clapped him hard on the back, making him stumble forward then scowl at her. She grinned broadly down at him.

“Look what I found!” Annisa was back at the top of the stairs. She was holding a pair of red shorts in one hand and a guitar in the other.”

“Ya were supposed to get shorts, not a guitar, ya damn gecko!” Sans protested.

“I’m not a gecko! Anyway, do you play?”

Undyne chuckled “I didn’t think you still had that thing. Bring it here, Nis!”

Annisa excitedly came down the steps and offered the instrument to Hell.

“I haven’t played in ages, I don’t remember.” He protested, not reaching for the instrument. He watched as her face fell a bit, what was she so disappointed about? Also, wasn’t she supposed to hate him?

“Oh! Could I play something?”

“Ya play, Guppy?” Undyne inquired.

“I dabble.” She fluttered her lashes.

“Go for it then!” Hell sighed noisily and flopped back down on the couch, rolling his eyes. He propped his head on his fist, leaning on the arm rest. Undyne claimed a seat next to him and Annisa smiled at how excited she seemed. She put the shorts down to claim later and started tuning the instrument, thinking about what song she wanted to perform. Well, there was one…she’d have to do an acoustic version of it, though. She cleared her throat and began plucking the strings.

When, when we came home

Worn to the bone

I told myself, “This could get rough.”

And when, when I was off, which happened a lot

You came to me and said, “That’s enough.”

Oh, I know that this love is pain

But we can’t cut it from out these veins, no

So, I’ll hit the lights and you lock the doors

We ain’t leaving this room ‘til we bust the mold

Don’t walk away, don’t roll your eyes

They say love is pain, well darling, lets hurt tonight

She softly sang through the vocalization, plucking and strumming at Hell’s guitar. Undyne still sat at attention but her expression was no longer excited. In fact, Annisa wasn’t sure what the expression was, but it was heavy, and the other woman was sitting very, very still.

When, when you came home

Worn to the bones

I told myself, “This could get rough.”

Oh, I now you’re feeling insane

Tell me something that I can explain, oh

I’ll hit the lights and you lock the doors

Tell me all of the things that you couldn’t before

Don’t walk away, don’t roll your eyes

They say love is pain, well darling, let’s hurt tonight

If this love is pain, well darling, let’s hurt, oh tonight

Undyne was looking down now, Annisa couldn’t see her face clearly now. She didn’t dare stop though. Hell’s right socket was closed and his left one was empty of his purple eye light but she could feel his regard like a humming buzz over her scales. Her tempo slowed and her volume softened

So, you hit the lights and I’ll lock the doors

Let’s say all the things that we couldn’t before

Won’t walk away, won’t roll my eyes

They say love is pain, well darling, let’s hurt tonight

If this love is pain, then honey, let’s love tonight

The silence was heavy when she finished. She watched her audience, waiting. Undyne inhaled sharply and stood abruptly, startling both of them, Hell’s socket opening. She approached Annisa, her face still hidden by her hair, she reached up and ruffled her hair, “Thanks for that, guppy. It was good. I’m beat good night.” She said quietly and headed up the stairs without another word. Annisa watched her go, frowning. Movement had her turning to look at Hell, who was standing. She frowned questioningly at him but he only shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets as he headed for the stairs too.

“Get some sleep, Gecko. We have to be somewhere tomorrow.” He glared at the stairs as if they had perfectly offended him then started mounting them. She watched him go, not bothering to correct him again. She sat down with a sigh, suddenly very tired. She set the guitar, turned off the lights and then reclaimed her spot on the couch, rolling herself up in the blanket. She wondered where they were going tomorrow, she wondered if anyone had noticed she was missing yet. Well, nothing was going to be accomplished by worrying so she let it go for now, letting herself drift off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music  
> [Let's Hurt Tonight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJHvHqvUdfw)
> 
> [Beef Rendang](https://tasteasianfood.com/beef-rendang-recipe/)


	3. Thorns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mom and Dad are fighting. Alphys is also there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'd like to thank y'all for the kudos and the bookmarks and the comments. I'm still pretty new at this and sometimes this is just terrifying but y'all are making me feel warm and fuzzy
> 
> Of course, so much gratitude to RoseDarkfire for even allowing me to do this in the fantastic universe she created. You rock 3000.

She was humming. Again. They’d been walking for some time and she’d started humming near the beginning of their journey too. He’d given her a heads up and she’d stopped, apologizing. Sometime later, it happened again. Again, he pointed it out. Again, she stopped. And now, she was humming yet again and he sighed noisily.

“So, is this gonna be a thing with ya?” He asked finally asked, exasperated.

“Huh?” she frowned over at him quizzically

“Ya know, we let you sing _one_ time and now my life has turned into a damned musical!” He growled.

She didn’t say anything for a few beats before, “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“I know how I said it! You’re humming again!”

“Oh. Sorry, don’t realize I’m doing it. Got a song stuck in my head. I’m usually alone so it usually doesn’t bother anyone.” She explained, not looking particularly bothered.

“Is there some way I can get ya to stop?” He asked.

She rolled her eyes upwards thoughtfully, “We could run to True Lab?”

Hell grimaced, “Hell no!”

“Hell, yes!” She replied immediately.

“Gecko. No.”

“I’m not a gecko!” She threw her hands up then glared at him.

He snickered, “Never gonna get rep-tired of calling ya that.”

Annisa gave him a flat look, “That was bad. And you should feel bad.”

“What do ya call a lizard that sings?”

“Hells—”

“A _rap_ -tile.” His grin widened as she groaned loudly next to him, covering her face with her hands.

“What do ya call a snake that’s 3.14 feet long?”

“You know—”

“A _pi_ -thon.

“Okay, I get it! We both have annoying habits!”

“Looks like we’re being _monitored_.” Was his response and she uncovered her face to frown at him and then looked around; a mouse monster was peeking at them from behind a tree. When they noticed their regard, the little furry face disappeared.

Annisa had noticed the distinct lack of monsters around and when they did see one, they either hurriedly switched direction or dived behind cover. She knew they couldn’t be reacting to her; she’d just gotten here and she didn’t think she was particularly scary looking. She looked back at Hell to see that his eye lights were gone and his expression inscrutable. They fell into silence again for a little while.

“So…how many universes are there, anyway?”

She wasn’t sure he was going to answer but then finally, “The number doesn’t stay the same for long. Universes are created and just as quickly destroyed.”

“But there’s basically a version of all the monsters in them?”

“Eh, not always.” He then launched a more detailed answer. Annisa noticed that he got chatty when it came to stuff like this, as if he’d been holding it all in waiting for someone to talk to about it. Learning about Resets, she didn’t blame him; anyone he told in this universe would immediately forget when he or the Kid, as he referred to them, Reset the timeline.

“So, did you not get a Papyrus…?” The heavy silence following that question let her know she’d stepped on a proverbial landmine. She wouldn’t back down, the question had been burning a hole in her brain.

“No.” She looked down at the ground before them as they walked, her brow furrowed; seemed that really bothered him.

“I bet that explains why you are…the way you are.” She finally remarked quietly.

“The way I am?” He frowned over at her.

She returned his regard, “You know, a homicidal maniac.”

He blinked at her, “Rude.”

“Truth hurts…and so does being thrown into walls.” She pressed her lips together, shrugging.

“Having a Papyrus doesn’t guarantee we won’t become ‘homicidal maniacs’ as you put it.” His thoughts unfortunately settled on Dusty and he grimaced.

“Seems to help.”

“I don’t need a Papyrus!” He growled.

“Well, you needed someone to teach you it’s not okay to just attack people out of the blue! That Mercy isn’t a weakness!”

“What does a kid like you even know about it?!” He shouted.

“I know that much!” She yelled back.

“I’ve seen countless runs where Papyrus gets his head chopped off by that Kid for being compassionate and merciful. Ya can’t show Mercy to pure evil!”

“Well, no duh! But that doesn’t mean you don’t show it at all! Being completely brutal will land you in the same spot eventually the only differences are that it’ll probably take longer and you’ll probably be a whole lot dustier. You gotta balance the two or it doesn’t work!”

They’d since stopped walking and were yelling at each other in the middle of the path. Annisa’s shoulders slumped and she looked away from him.

“Must be nice to have all the answers.” He muttered bitterly.

“I never said that.” She sighed, “And I don’t want to fight with you.” She lifted her hand to rub her forehead, closing her eyes, “I just…sure, I don’t really know your life or what you went through I’m just mad that you didn’t have anyone.”

“I didn’t ask for ya pity.”

She shot a glare at him, “If someone had taught you all that, you wouldn’t have attacked me in that alley way for trying to help you when you were passed out!” She snapped unexpectantly.

He jerked back in surprise then glared back, “Would ya stop bringin’ it up? Look, I’ll apologize; I’m sorry I threw ya around, happy?!”

Her expression morphed immediately, her features relaxing and her mouth curling up into a wide smile, “Oh, thank you!” She chirped.

He stared down at her nonplussed, _She’s off her rocker._

Her smile dimmed a little, “Listen, uh, the whole balance thing isn’t guaranteed; bad stuff happens to good people sometimes, that’s just the way of it. It soul-sucking every single time.” He noticed her hands ball into the fists at her side, her eyes seemed to lose focus as well, as if she weren’t looking at him anymore, “Feels like standing on the edge of the abyss. There’s something down there too, staring up at you, whispering, daring you to just…let it take control so you don’t have to care anymore. All you gotta do is close your eyes and let it have you. It’ll be so much better. You’ll be free.”

“Gecko!” He grabbed her shoulders and shook her a little, she was seriously freaking him out. He stiffened as her eyes snapped into focus again, pinning him in place, her pupils were enormous and there was an odd buzzing in the air.

“ _If you blink, you lose_.” Hell shivered, that hadn’t even sounded like her.

As soon as it occurred, the pressure in the air seemed to pop and Annisa took a deep breath as if she’d been holding it. Her eye lids fluttered and her personality seemed to flood back into her features. She gently shrugged his hands off, “I’m not a gecko.” She protested quietly.

“Yeah. Sure.” Hell watched her carefully. She turned and continued down the path and after a moment, he followed, his longer stride ensuring he caught up before matching her pace. Neither of them spoke again and after a while, Annisa started humming that melody again.

He didn’t stop her this time.

Alphys, Hell, and Annisa stared agape at the red glowing inverted heart, “Uh…is it supposed to look like that?” Annisa looked at the two monsters.

“N-no, it’s n-not.” Alphys frowned.

Annisa wasn’t sure who had been more surprised to see who, her or the yellow lizard monster. She wore a long-sleeved black shirt under her white lab coat that looked like it had seen better days, dark gray cut-off pants were cinched together with a sturdy looking brown belt. The most shocking part, however was the appearance of bloody tears that tracked down the lizard woman’s face, staining her scales. Similar stains at her fingertips made Annisa squint at first but the rough looking Alphys ended up being…oddly cute?

They’d gotten to the lab without incident, greetings were exchanged and now they were staring at Hell’s SOUL. It was unusual for a monster, as she’d gathered from Undyne, regular monster SOULS were usually a silvery white color. Not only was Hell’s red which, according to Alphys, was actually normal for him, but wrapped all around were black veiny looking vessels that seemed to pulsate ominously.

“T-there seems to be a bit of f-fading around the edges of these v-vessels. S-seems your venom i-is acting like a d-drug. It should f-fade over time.”

“Yeah, and how long I gotta wait?” Hell asked irritably.

“U-undetermined.” Alphys replied shortly. She pressed a few buttons and the heart returned to its owner, disappearing from view.

“Welp…” Annisa hopped down from her perch on a nearby table.

“What about an antivenom?” Hell demanded, not letting it go. Not that she could blame him. In fact, she had antivenom…in her backpack. She pressed her lips together and said nothing, though, looking at Alphys who was shaking her scaled head.

“B-by the time I could fabricate one, y-you’d most likely be recovered.” She shrugged.

Hell looked down angrily but then he looked up at Annisa and she didn’t like how thoughtful his gaze was, _Oh no…_

“You. You have some, don’t you?” His voice low.

Annisa squinted at him but remained silent which, apparently, was confirmation enough for the skeleton who advanced on her, “You do!”

She sighed and looked away, “They’re in my backpack. Which is in the alleyway.” She raised a brow at him then frowned as he cussed viciously.

“Rude. Anyway, if you’d just stayed here and did your job, none of this would have happened. As it happens, we’re stuck here together, paying the price for trying to kill each other. It’ll be fine, I got your back until you’re able to take me home and then I’ll be out of your hair…so to speak.”

He turned back to her, confused, “Job? I don’t have a job.”

“What, yes you do.” Equally confused, “You’re supposed to be here protecting the monsters here. You’re supposed to be working towards getting them out of the underground.” She gestured around her. Why didn’t he know this?

“Yeah? Who signed me up for that?” He chuckled, looking at her like she was crazy.

She raised his brows incredulously, “You did!”

“Pretty sure I didn’t, Gecko.” He shoved his hands in his pocket, not liking where this was going.

“Are you or are you not the most powerful monster in the Underground?” She asked.

“Well, I mean, not to toot my own trombone—”

“Then, it’s your job. You’ve got the power to do it. That’s what you’re supposed to do. The Kid falls down, you keep an eye on them, they befriend everybody, they break the barrier then everyone gets to go to the surface, the end.”

“None of that matters because then the Kid resets for shits and giggles and tries murdering everyone to see what that’s like.”

“That’s not—” She rubbed her forehead, “That’s not guarantee to happen. And what do you mean it doesn’t matter? Of course, it matters; they get to see the sun!”

“It means what I said; it doesn’t matter!” They were nose to nose again. At least they weren’t outside.

“What, so you’re the only one who gets to experience the surface? To visit the sea? You don’t think Undyne would want to visit the sea?” Not only Hell but Alphys flinched at the mention of the fish woman, “All these monsters in your life deserve to at least see the sky.”

“They’re gonna forget when it all resets, Gecko. That’s why it doesn’t matter!”

He was glaring down at her with that empty-socketed as she gaped up at him, “How selfish can you be? Is that all you learned while flitting around the multiverse? You’re so focused on the negative because it means you don’t have to do anything but what you’ve been doing all along. If you’re not going to use all that power to do something productive then what is the point of you?”

He frowned at her, “What—Listen, I didn’t sign up for all that, alright? That pipe dream of yours sounds like a waste of time.” He looked away stubbornly.

Annisa stared up at his mulish face and closed her eyes hard. She’d only met one Sans. Axe. She didn’t know what he’d been through but she knew it had been awful and harrowing, the kind of stuff that could break someone and yet, he’d come out on the other side a great monster. Someone worthy to be loved and _was_ loved by many. And yet, here stood the same monster, albeit a different version of the same monster and he just…he wasn’t measuring up at all.

Disappointment was like a bitter taste in the back of her throat. Maybe she wasn’t being fair; she didn’t know Hell’s story either, didn’t know what he’d gone through to become…this. Whatever fires he’d gone through, whatever abyss he’d stared into, he’d blinked. Axe had not. Sudden exhaustion crashed over her; she was just so fed up so when she finally speak, her voice sounded hollow even to her own ears, “Even if we could somehow make it to my backpack, I wouldn’t help you. You can just stay like this until the venom wears off. Do what you want.” She turned away, passing Alphys who had been very, very quiet during that whole exchange, “It was nice to meet you, Alphys.”

“Gecko, where are ya going? Get back here, we ain’t finished!”

She ignored him, back tracking until she got outside. It was…cold here. So cold. She squinted against a sudden wind that kicked snow into her face, “Suppose that’s why it’s called ColdValley.” She snorted at herself. She ignored her discomfort and wandered away from the lab. She finally found fallen tree and set down, bringing one of her legs up so she could rest her cheek on her knee.

This sucked.

_What did I do to deserve this?_

_You know what you did._

Yeah, she did. But she’d do it again. And again. But why had she _had_ to do it in the first place? Why hadn’t they just listened to her? Now she had blood on her hands and it would never go away. She turned her head so her forehead now rested on her knee, her chin tucked into her chest as she felt the misery rise like flood water.

“Well, aren’t you a tasty snack.”

The voice was rough, deep, and sort of wet sounding. That couldn’t be good news. Annisa whipped her head around and froze. The figure standing behind her, regarding her with a vibrant blue eye and grinning broadly looked just like Hells except he seemed to be made of a black oily or inky substance. It seemed to flow constantly but when she looked at his feet, she didn’t notice a puddle around him. Half of his face looked like it had melted so only that one eye was visible.

“Um…hello?”

“Hello.” He replied and Annisa stiffened as three tentacles seemed to appear behind him, they were also made up of the same substance as her unexpected visitor. She only had enough time to think of a three-legged octopus before one of the tentacles shot out at her.

“Damn gecko, what does she know anyway?” He kicked the door open, stepping out into the snow. He sighed, heavily, exhaling on a growl as she scowled at the snow. He heard the door close behind him and closed his eyes.

“H-how is Undyne?” Alphys had asked quietly a few moments after Annisa had stormed out.

“She’s alright.” He replied quietly, “Ya want me to tell her the same?” He’d asked gruffly.

“I-if it won’t be too much t-trouble.” She’d replied, looking away from him.

Hell started walking, following Annisa’s foot prints in the snow, muttering about annoying girls. Only reason she was sassing him was because he couldn’t do anything about it. He paused, well, she’d been a bit sassy when they’d first met, even daring to strike him; maybe she had a death wish.

A scream had him looking up, “Gecko?!” He took off running. How far had she gone?! He came skidding to a stop at the sight before him.

“Nightmare? What are ya doin’ here? I told you, I don’t wanna work for you!” He snarled.

Nightmare had one of his tentacles wrapped around Annisa’s middle and was holding her aloft, she looked pissed but unharmed. At his voice, Nightmare craned his neck to look at him, the other monster’s already wide grin, widening even further.

“Well, hello there, Hell.” He purred.

“Put her down!” He yelled ignoring the greeting.

“Oh, is this yours? I’m going to borrow it for a moment.”

“I’m not an it, you octopus jerk!” Annisa protested, squeaking as Nightmare shook her.

Nightmare chuckled, “Oh, she’s delightful. Don’t worry, I’ll get her back to you in one piece. Maybe.”

“Nightmare, don’t--!” but the oily monster vanished, taking Annisa with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The melody Annisa is humming  
> [The Humming](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJR0gGIoKps)\
> 
> [Humming a song that you are fond of can help with anxiety.](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/minding-the-body/201111/hum-happy-tune-wellness)
> 
> This chapter ended earlier than I had anticipated. Hoping its not too short of a chapter...*biting nails. immediately stops because, ew, acrylics*


	4. Nightmare Fuel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annisa has a bit of a bad time.

Nightmare watched his new acquisition curiously as she wriggled in his grip, yelling insults at him without actually using harsh language. It was a new experience to be called a “tar butt.” Shifters weren’t beings that he had much dealings with and she was a small thing to be sure but if what he could tell with her in his grasp, she was stronger and denser than she looked. He drank in her ire and fear; a lovely appetizer to what he hoped would prove to be a banquet. Noticing that he wasn’t really paying attention to her, he felt her anger spike right before she sank those claws into his tentacle.

It didn’t hurt, in fact, he could feel them sink into his appendage. No, what was interesting was the split-second moment of absolute stillness, as if her functions had been put on pause. Her eyes became hazy before she snapped back to reality. When he released her, she made a squeaking noise of alarm and despite the sudden nature of her liberation she still managed to land on her feet gracefully. Her tail probably helped with that. She sank into a crouch, eyeing him cautiously.

“Nightmare, huh?” She asked, her voice low, “What do you want with me? Why’d you bring me here?” He watched her dark eyes flicker to her surroundings finally. The dark, expansive, empty space would give her no data whatsoever. It wasn’t supposed to. 

He spread his hands, letting his grin widen, “I noticed you were quite distressed about something. I was passing by and couldn’t help but take pity on you.”

She stood slowly, keeping her body sideways, making herself smaller target, not that it would help, “Uh-huh.” She didn’t sound convinced.

He chuckled, “Now, now, don’t get your scales in a bunch. Negative emotions are my bread and butter you see and what better way to get all those pesky feelings resolved but to…vent.”

She raised her brows at him, “Uh…so, you abducted me for a…therapy reasons?”

Nightmare chuckled, “What a way to put it. Everybody’s got feelings they need to deal with, go ahead and let loose.”

She looked around again then back at him, then down at the ground. He didn’t know what she was thinking but he knew she was an emotional powder keg, all he needed was to light the fuse…

“I’ll not judge. Promise.” He watched her stiffen, a rosy hue appearing on her brown face. He hadn’t been sure if that would be the right button to push but he’d found it was always a good place to start. Her clawed hands curled into fists at her side as she struggled internally with herself. Uncertainty, apprehension, a dash of fear, and a smattering of guilt? What a tantalizing cocktail. She was trembling now, was it time for the main course?

“WHAT DID SHE TELL HIM?!” She suddenly shouted at him. Well, not at him, he just happened to be there. He slipped his hands in his pockets, settling in to watch the fireworks.

“I told her…I told her how he looked at her. I told her! What did she say to him? Was she trying to spare his feelings? Why would that even matter in this situation? Does it matter? When someone looks at your Mate like that…does it really matter? Did she think I was making it up or maybe she thought I was exaggerating?” She began pacing back and forth, her arms gesticulating wildly. He had no context for her words, not that it really mattered, he was only here for her emotions and they were…abundant. A banquet indeed. Maybe that’s what he’d call her. She continued her enraged rant, her words were at times what others would consider graceless, she’d turn to him with an incredulous question but then turn away, answering it herself. He was just the sounding board, no judgements, just like he’d promised and she was taking him up on that offer with gusto.

Bless her heart.

Her grief was delectable, and it was grief in its rawest form; this was likely the first time she’d allowed herself to do so and Nightmare felt so fortunate to have accidentally stumbled upon her at such a _vulnerable_ time. It looked like she was ramping up now, her rage, frustration, despair, and that ever-present guilt reaching a crescendo.

“ADULTS ARE STUPID!” She roared up at the black expansive “sky” above them. She stood still now, her arms hanging limply by her sides, her head still tipped backwards as she stared back up at nothing. Outwardly, she looked completely drained but Nightmare’s already wide grin stretched even further.

Dessert was on its way…

All the rage had indeed been drained away with her angry words but now, now it was time for the waterworks. She didn’t disappoint as sadness washed over her like a flashflood. It was intense and poignant and her small frame trembled harshly before her knees buckled and she crumpled into a sitting position, her legs tucked under her bottom. Her shaking hands lifted and covered her face as she howled out her anguish over her apparently dead parents.

He’d managed to piece that together earlier. Based on the guilt he could still taste, she felt partially responsible for their demise, as if she could have done something else and perhaps that would have saved them. Dessert was turning out to be just as satisfying, if not just as noisy as the meal she’d just treated him to. He almost wished that his idiot brother could somehow appear so that he could finally, _finally_ dust the irritating little—

Oh, what’s this?

It seemed that it was finally ending, Banquet’s negative emotions were starting to fade and stabilize. He understood how cathartic grieving properly could be but he wasn’t really ready to part ways, even if she had given him the opportunity to absolutely gorge himself. He wondered where Hellish had found this one; she certainly wasn’t from his universe. If he were lucky, maybe she was from a universe safe from his goodie two-shoes brother.

Quiet now, she wiped her face on the sleeve of the obviously borrowed sweatshirt she wore, which was quite disgusting, not that he’d offered a handkerchief or anything. The thought hadn’t really occurred to him, wasn’t that what people did? Oh well. She sniffled and looked at him and…smiled.

Gratefulness. Ugh.

“Thanks for listening.” She said, climbing to her feet with a sigh, wiping her face again on the other arm.

His smile, which had dimmed in the face of her more positive emotions curled again, genially, “Sure thing, Banquet.”

She frowned at him curiously, “Um, yeah. So…can you take me back now?” She asked, her face lighting up hopefully.

Heh.

“So eager to be rid of me, then?” He asked, tilting his head.

“Huh? Oh…right, you did stand there while I absolutely just lost my mind for…how long has it been?” She pressed her lips together, looking concerned, “I don’t have any kind of money to pay you back for your time.” She shifted nervously.

That’s more like it.

He hummed, making a show of bringing his hand to his chin thoughtfully, “Well, isn’t this a pickle?” Banquet fidgeted before him, looking even smaller than he knew she was. His thoughts tracked back to her earlier ire at him and her anger as she fought him. So very feral with what had seemed to be a propensity for blood lust if cultivated properly. That would be interesting. He sent out a call and slipped his hand back into his pocket.,

“I know how you can pay me back.” He finally said and she perked up, making him chuckle.

“Yeah?” She asked. He watched as Relic appeared behind her, knife already in hand.

“Yeah.” Relic purred and Nightmare watched her amber eyes widened. He’d expected her to whip around to see who had popped up behind her but instead she dove forward and rolled, effectively dodging Relic’s first strike. Her fear flared up making him hum happily. She came tumbling towards him, past him, finally turning and crab-walking backwards. He didn’t stop her, simply watched as Relic advanced, his grin wide. The homicidal skeleton was level with him when she finally spoke again.

“WHOA, WHOA, WHOA! Time out! TIME OUT” and Relic _stopped_.

Did she just…?

Relic looked surprised too, looking over at Nightmare. He craned his neck and looked at Banquet to see she also looked shocked that had actually worked. The moment was awkward and, well, amusing. He looked back at Relic and shrugged; he’d allow it. The two of them watched as Banquet began removing her shoes. Neither missed how her hands trembled a bit as she untied them and pulled off her socks, neatly tucking them away. They looked like they were too big for her, probably also borrowed from Hellish. The scales that were evident all over her body now traveled down to cover the tops of her feet. It was a fascination process to watch. She then pulled the bulky sweatshirt off to reveal a pastel multicolored tie-dyed shirt.

Standing, she rolled her shoulders, hopped from one foot to the next as if she were testing her weight, and shook her hands out. He was truly taken aback by her next actions.

“Time.” She growled and then rushed forward. She could move startlingly fast, he observed as her fist drew back and plowed into Relic’s face, sending him tumbling away gracelessly. She now stood where he did, glaring daggers after her opponent before her odd eyes flickered over to him so she could scowl at him sidelong.

He returned her regard, unconcerned by the malice there, but definitely relishing it, “Have fun.” He purred.

“Get bent.” She huffed, making him laugh as she ran forward. Relic was standing now, looking absolutely livid. It had been awhile since he’d found a suitable playmate for Relic; Hellish didn’t want to have anything to do with them and the same went for Dusty, though they did have their occasional run-ins. If Banquet could hold her own against Relic, maybe he’d have her tag along with them as they seeded misery through the multiverse.

Wonder how she’d fair against Dream. He couldn’t help but muse. He returned his attention back to the fighting pair in time to see Relic score a hit finally, his blade slicing up at Banquet’s face. It skidded over her scales on her cheek but caught her eye, blood spraying upwards. She sprang backwards with a cry, anger radiating off her in near visible waves while Relic looked pleased with himself.

If Annisa had been someone who had a penchant for swearing, she’d be cussing up a storm right now. Her face stung and there was blood in her eye. She gritted her fangs against the discomfort, keeping her unobstructed eye on the jerk with the freaking target on his shirt. He looked so pleased with himself for tagging her, if the wide grin was any indication even if it also appeared that he was…crying? The inky black substance streamed from his empty sockets, some of it getting on his teeth before dripping to his chin.

All of this was just absolute bogus really. She’d been abducted from home and she’d been abducted from the one that had abducted her from home and now she had to fight off this literal psycho. Nightmare had been right, letting lose, while making her feel a bit hollow in her chest, had also gotten rid of the weight she hadn’t even know she’d been carrying there. She’d been distantly surprised by what she’d said, marveling that words and feelings like that had even existed in her but they’d just…come tumbling out.

It had been different from when she’d opened up to Axe. While that had been the first time she had really told anyone about what had happened in full detail, she’d stopped herself from really just letting loose. Nightmare had said he wouldn’t judge her, was that why she’d held back from Axe? He was her Alpha and she didn’t want him to think she was some crazed lunatic…

Speaking of crazed lunatics, she wiped blood from her face, blinking her eye open. The pain had disappeared, her wound healed, she needed to deal with this guy. She wasn’t sure what she could do about Nightmare, if she tried fighting him, he’d probably bounce her around this empty place like a superball. No, let’s deal with this one first.

She took a deep breath, blowing it out, steadying herself. He’d let her recover, she noticed; the slash probably payback for that right hook she’d delivered. She could still see the scuff mark on his cheek from her fist and it gave her a bit of satisfaction to see it there. Her reprieve was short-lived though. Through the soles of her feet she sensed an odd vibration coming from directly below her. Filled with foreboding, she dove and rolled to the side, narrowly escaping being impaled on the spiky bones that erupted from the ground where she’d been standing.

Seeing them made her blood run cold. She rolled to her feet and kept moving, feeling that odd vibration again. Bone spikes followed her progress as she ran. A flickering ahead of her was her only warning and suddenly he was in her path, demented grin in place, knife at the ready. She couldn’t stop and he figured she couldn’t keep going but she did, pumping her legs even harder and then ducking and sliding, she felt the blade slice into her hair but she safely slid between his wide stance, thank goodness for her small size in comparison to his., and turned, sweeping his legs. She stood and attempted to scissor kick down at his head but her foot impacted with the ground as he dodged.

A prickling along her spin warned her to duck and she rolled to the side and then kept rolling as the ground vibrated. She didn’t have to dodge bone spikes for long, she went back to dodging and blocking knife swings. Most of her energy was focused on dodging, but occasionally she’d try to lash out, but he’d disappear and she’d miss her mark every time and it would throw her off balance, making her an easy target for slashes. He’d tagged her a few times this way, the most recent being a rather aggressive one at her back that managed to cut through her scaled armor. She cried out, stumbling ward, rolling when she tripped and hit the ground.

Pain ricocheted through her body and her vision tipped and tunneled dangerously. Through her haze, trying to right herself, she heard him chuckle. He was laughing at her. Monumental jerk. Rage blossomed in her chest and she blinked as her vision began to clear. When she could see him clearly, he was standing still and there was a giant…horned…skeletal…head floating above him. Black fluid also seemed to stream out of its eyes and drip out of its mouth. Rows of sharp teeth in a vaguely reptilian maw grinned malevolently at her. Said maw suddenly unhinged and her eyes widened at the glow in their depths

“Fire in the hole.” The Psycho growled gleefully. The blast struck the ground and ripped along it towards her. Her body lurched into motion, dodging to the side out of the way. An odd uncomfortable sensation burning along her scales, making her grit her fangs.

“WHY DO YOU HAVE A LASER SKULL!?!?” She roared at him, throwing up her arms, her voice cracking.

The said laser skull answered for him by way of opening its mouth again. Annisa gasped and jerked into motion again, having to zig-zag her path to avoid getting blasted, even so, one of them clipped her shoulder and she hissed at the burning pain but kept moving, not wanting to get a full dose. The pain in her shoulder started to subside, her scales growing back as she moved, her stomach dropping as it appeared in her path, it’s mouth agape. She slid into yet another baseball slide, dropping all the way to the ground and turning her head to the side, feeling the sizzle of magic all up her front and along her cheek, the sound making her ear ring as the beam fired overhead.

Coming to a stop behind it, Annisa stood and whipped around, grabbing it by one of the horns and dragging it around with a grunt, hoping to use the still activated beam to hit the Psycho. He disappeared, of course, so she missed. Her impromptu weapon abruptly vanished in her hands and she blinked then squealed as the he appeared in front of her, slashing at her neck. She brought up her forearm in time, though and blocked is blow, quickly shoving him back and skipping back herself, trying to get more space between them. He only stumbled back so far before he was advancing again and she was back to blocking and evading…again.

_Have to find an opening._

_Have to find an opening._

_Find an opening._

_Find a—_

_THERE_!

Annisa’s foot lashed out, kicking the blade out of his hand so that it went twirling upwards, end over end. This new development distracted the Psycho enough that she was able to spin and deliver yet another kick directly into that stupid target on his stupid white shirt. Triumph fueled by rage caused her to shout savagely as her foot connected with his sternum. She could feel the crack of the bone up her leg and the sensation made her grin broadly. The Psycho went tumbling back, head over tail and she watched idly, holding her hand out so she could catch the blade deftly. Breathing labored, she looked down at the blade and tilted her head, watching the blade gleam. She gave a hum of admiration for the weapon, remembering holding a smaller counterpart, remembering the splash of hot blood all over her hand and—

Catching her reflection in the flat of the blade, Annisa froze. Her already inhuman eyes looked…crazed. She blinked at herself, her breath coming out in an uneven puff. Closing her eyes, she inhaled, trying to collect herself. Where had she gone? Where had she almost gone? Blinking her eyes open, she located Nightmare. He was standing where she’d left him, that grin still on his face. It wasn’t as wide, it actually looked quite placid. She turned and approached, the blade held at her side, limping just a little, goodness, she was tired!

He didn’t move, his expression never altered; he simply watched as she walked towards him with the knife. She stopped short, however and held it up, adjusting her grip so she was holding it around the blade, mindful of the edge and then flexed her hand, her thumb pushing forward abruptly. The blade snapped in half and she dropped the two pieces at her feet.

“Can you take me back now?” She asked, distantly surprised how calm her voice sounded.

Nightmare tilted his hand a little, rolling his eyes up in thought, “Well, why would you want to do something as foolish as leaving when you passed the interview? With flying colors, I might add.” He glanced to the side where she expected the Psycho was still laying, “You were a little rough with your partner, but he won’t hold it against you.”

Annisa frowned, “I’m sorry, what?”

“No need to apologize. I know you’re thrilled to be working for me.”

She squinted at him, “I don’t work for you.” She replied flatly and then stiffened as his smile changed, it became sharper. Alarm bells clanged in her head and she cautiously began backing away, “I paid you back. I played with the Psycho. You said you’d bring me back in one piec—urk!”

She was tired and he was so fast. She had no time to dodge and now there was a tentacle wrapped around her neck and lifting her into the air. She tried not to panic but it was hard as her airflow became more and more restricted.

“Heh. Not sure what gave you the impression you were in any kind of position to refuse, Banquet.” He purred up at her.

What did he call me? That’s not important, focus! She berated herself, trying to think as she clawed at the tentacle to no avail. There had to be something she could do. She didn’t want to work for this guy, or work with the Psycho, either! She had a job. A good job, a job she loved, and people she loved. She couldn’t get wait to get back and perform again with the guys and talk to Snow and Flare—

Nightmare abruptly dropped her with a sound of displeasure. She dropped gracelessly, collapsing to the ground, coughing and wheezing. She managed to get a look at him and was puzzled by the look of disgust on his face and a hint of pain. She frowned at him, her mind working feverishly. She hadn’t done anything to him, she already knew using her claws was useless so, why did he release her? And what was with that look?

The answer came to her abruptly. It came with an odd ringing in her ears she saw the moment when he saw that she understood what had just happened. She didn’t think, just dove to the side, rolling painfully, letting out a pained grunt. The ground shook as a tentacle struck where she’d been sitting. She scrambled mentally but managed to draw up an image of Axe and Rayven in her mind, focusing on them and all that they’d done for her, taking her in and giving her a place to belong. Warmth bloomed in her chest and she couldn’t help a smile, even in her dire situation.

Nightmare stepped back, grimacing even wider now before grumbling irritably. If she continued along this vein, Dream would appear and that would be annoying, even if he was confident he could take on his brother. That wasn’t part of the plan right now, though, so he’d leave it for now.

“Fine, fine. No need to throw a tantrum.” He rumbled.

Annisa raised her brows at him incredulously and opened her mouth but was distracted when she noticed the light quality change behind her. She turned to look, which turned out to be a mistake as Nightmare struck once more, wrapping a tentacle around her neck again. Annisa squeaked and reached up to grab ahold but he released his grip quickly and then shoved her hard, hard enough that she left the ground. Cold air surrounded her as she sailed through the portal Nightmare had made. She crashed into someone hard enough that she knocked them over so that both of them tumbled to the ground in a tumble of limbs.

Nightmare was smirking at her through the portal, “See ya around, Banquet.” And then it closed and she was back in ColdValley, laying on top of…well, probably Hells going by the splash of red she could see in her periphery.

“Ugh…” she groaned, turning towards him, “You have no idea how nice it is to see a familiar fa—” all the relief she’d been feeling drained along with the blood in her face as she stared at the multicolored eye lights in the sockets of yet another unfamiliar skeleton monster.

“You’re not Hells.”

Nightmare appeared next to Relic. The other skeleton had fallen asleep on his back. Tilting his head, one of his tentacles moved forward and pressed down slowly on his sternum. He was rewarded by a pained shout as Relic jerked into consciousness.

“Comfortable?” He drawled.

Relic groaned as he sat up, holding his chest, “I _was_.” He grumbled, wincing.

“Thoughts?”

He grinned broadly, looking up at the dark skeleton, “Nice choice. Having a new pardner will make things interesting. Think we pissed ‘er off, though.” He chuckled, unrepentant.

Nightmare’s own grin broadened as he wrapped a tentacle around Relic. A soft green glow surrounded him and Relic’s expression eased. He then dropped the repaired Real Knife into Relic’s hands. He looked at it thoughtfully.

“Think she’ll want one? Those claws could do some damage but having a blade will give her more reach.” He asked.

“I’ll leave that decision up to you.” Nightmare replied, watching as Relic regained his feet.

He frowned, looking around, “Where’d she go? Thought she was coming wit’ us.”

Nightmare turned away, “Not now. She needs a little time to warm up to the idea.” He turned his head and looked at Relic, “Don’t pout. We’ll be seeing her again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [My Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/moodykitsune)


	5. Come Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dusty isn't mad at Hellish, he just wants to talk...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Geh, finally it's here! Hope you enjoy!

He didn’t even know why he bothered looking. He knew Nightmare hadn’t take her to anywhere in this dimension. Stupid octopus! He could do nothing though, which, before all this mess would have been exactly what he’d done. But back then, he had magic, he could have _followed_ them. As of right now, he couldn’t even See them and it was frustrating and…terrifying. He paused, looking up at the snow-covered branches above. Why was he bothered? She was out of his hair (so to speak), it’d be quieter and things could go back to how they were.

_Undyne is going to_ murder _you._

He stiffened at the thought. Why had he forgotten? And she _could_ now, in his vulnerable state. Hell lifted his hand and scratched at his skull growling low in his nonexistent throat as he looked down at the snow on the ground. Ugh! Why did everything have to change? Why did he have to change?! Everything was just fine until…well, that had been his fault, hadn’t it? Their argument; check that; _arguments_ poked at his subconscious and he sighed, continuing on. When he’d first been able to See the other universes, he’d of course noticed that while he wasn’t the only one to not have a Papyrus, he and the others like him had certainly been in the minority and he distinctly remembered the sting of envy.

The oversized gecko hadn’t been completely wrong and neither had he; while having a Papyrus didn’t guarantee that Sans wouldn’t go off the deep end, for the most part, it did. The younger brother seemed to act like an anchor for those Sanses and whenever they lost him, their behavior changed dramatically. But it was stupid, wasn’t it; relying on someone else to keep you sane? His thoughts paused; it wasn’t just him. It was all of them. Toriel, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, even Mettaton and Asgore.

The Toriel from his universe was…

Sudden rage welled up in his chest and he snarled viciously, kicking out with his leg. It shattered the fallen tree before him and he scowled down at the ruin. He supposed if it did come to a fight, he wasn’t completely defenseless.

“Oy, **leaf** that tree alone! What did it ever do to you?”

Hell supposed if he had a blood stream, it would have turned to ice at the voice behind him. The last voice he wanted to hear. Ever. He turned slowly, like he was in a nightmare, or one of those stupid horror movies. Sure enough, Dusty stood behind him, his hands shoved into his sweatshirt pockets. He was grinning lazily at Hell and he began to sweat, began sweating more as the smile became victorious.

“What’s that face for Hellatosis? Ya got somethin’ to hide?”

“Feather Duster.” Hell spat, turning to face the other skeleton fully.

“Heh. Well, not that seeing ya isn’t the absolute peak of my day,” Hell could practically smell the sarcasm and sneered as Dusty continued, “But unlike ya, I’ve actually got things goin’ on, so just save us both the hassle and tell me where the girl is.”

Wait. He was here for her?

_Why else would he come here, numbskull? The pleasure of your company?_

But how was Gecko connected with Dusty?

Hell searched his memory, trying to figure out if there’d been a clue. He had noticed Dusty spending a lot of time in Axe’s universe lately, but since he generally tried to avoid thinking about Dust Bin as much as possible, it was better to know where he was to avoid run-ins; their last one had been catastrophic for the universe they’d clashed in. Movement had him returning the present in time to see Dusty summon one of his bone blades. His grin had fallen into a silent snarl, his blue and red eye flaring.

“Time’s up.” Dusty growled and Hell did the only thing that he could.

He turned and ran.

Dusty watched as the red-clad skeleton whipped around, jumped over the fallen tree he’d just destroyed and took off into the thick forest. He was out of sight in an alarmingly short amount of time. Dusty stared at where Hell had vanished, his mind shorting out, “What. Just happened?” He turned to look at his brother only to see the spectral skeleton also staring, dumbfounded in the direction where Hell had run. Dusty closed his eyes and took a deep breath letting it out before trotting after his quarry. The snow was thick on the ground so, following his foot prints was child’s play…until it wasn’t.

Dusty scowled at the sudden lack of foot prints in the slow. They’d abruptly stopped. Of course they had. He stilled and listened. Hell had home court advantage and for some reason he was playing this game. He didn’t understand why but he knew the girl was in this universe, he’d scented her on Hell. But where was she and why was Hell behaving his way? He was supposed to be enjoying his “honeymoon” with his Mouse and he _had_ been when he’d gotten a frantic call from Axe. Axe had told him that Annisa’s scent hadn’t moved from that alley and looking around the scene of the crime, he’d noticed the matching dents in the walls of the alley and he recognized the traces of magic left behind there.

The challenge had been getting here. He’d missed a couple times, having to wait and rest before trying again. Third time had been the charm, which had been a relief. He hadn’t planned on running into Hell so quickly and now Hell was being weird. He dreaded the possibility of having to go back to Axe and Rayven with bad news. First, he just needed to pin down this ass—

A rock struck the side of his head.

Dusty staggered and rolled with it, moving quickly to duck behind a tree, sinking down to his knee, his eye lights scanning the nearly silent wood. The snow had a way of muffling sound that was frankly irritating at the moment while at the same time being the loudest substance on earth; shifting, and falling, melting, crackling. Dusty gritted his teeth and steeled himself, tensing and ducking at the sound of whistling air. A stone bounced off the tree he’d been hiding behind but more were coming. He took off, dodging a few more as they buried themselves into the snow where he’d been crouching.

He found more cover, glancing in the direction the stones had been coming from, but he knew that Hell would have moved by now. For someone so lazy, Hell was putting a lot of energy into this and he wasn’t using his magic, which was utterly baffling.

_On your right, brother!_ Dusty jerked backwards at Papyrus’ warning and another stone embedded itself into the trunk of the fallen tree he’d used as new cover. He dove over it as more missiles, sending out a few of his own; bone knives firing into he trees. He heard a few _thunk!_ into tree trunks before a pained shout sounded. Dusty’s soul fluttered in triumph and he leapt back over the fallen tree in pursuit of the sound, staying low, a new bone knife at the ready. He caught the sight of red and stilled for a moment before slowly approaching. He’d blame it on how tired he was that he didn’t realize something was very wrong until it was too late. Cracking overhead had him jerking his head up just in time for a heavy snow drift to land on him, knocking him off his feet.

He cursed as a blow to his middle sent him sliding in the slow, blinded and suffocated by the heavy white slush. Did that bastard just _kick_ him?! He didn’t have much time to seethe about it as a heavy weight landed on him, pinning his arms down. Blinded as he was, he didn’t see Hell raise the jagged branch overhead, poised to strike. A grip like iron stopped his downward strike.

Hell looked up to see a porcelain hand gripping his forearm. His gaze followed the extremity up to its owner and suddenly felt his nonexistent blood run cold as he stared into black pitiless eyes staring down at him from an attractive face.

She smiled sweetly down at him, “Naughty, naughty!” She sang before flinging him off of Dusty as easily as he’d thrown off his sweatshirt earlier. He slammed into a tree trunk hard, grunting, the impact stunning him for a moment. Amazingly, he’d managed to hold onto the branch, not that it would do much good right at this moment, what with stars filling his vision. He liked stars but they were in the way right now.

Shiloh glared balefully at her opponent, “Don’t touch my things.” She snarled

Dusty, who had finally clawed and shook all the snow out of eye sockets, chuckled tiredly, ‘That’s not what you said last night.”

She stiffened, turning her head to glare at him sidelong. The boughs above him vibrated and another snow drift landed on him, burying him again. She’d pay for it later but for now, it was totally worth it. She snorted and turned back to Hell just in time for him to swing that branch at her. It passed through her form harmlessly. He lost his balance and stumbled as he made no contact with his target but managed to keep his footing.

Shiloh giggled, her grin growing wide, “I guess it’s my turn!” She cooed as the ground began to rumble. Hell stumbled backwards, struggling to keep his feet yet again. Rocks began lifting into the air from their hiding place under the snow, a portion of another felled tree…a whole shrubbery. Hell gaped at the floating debris, his gaze landing on Shiloh just in time for her to shriek at him and hurl it all at him. He scrambled to get out of the way, getting clipped by a rock or two as he took cover behind a tree, which proved not to be much cover as a much larger rock crashed through the trunk, effectively felling his cover. He rolled and ran, darting around the trees as he was pelted with more and more objects.

“ _Rock-a-by baby, on the tree top…_ ” A chill ran up his spine at the song sung in a hauntingly high register sounded behind him, even over the tremendous sound of the forest being torn apart. Something struck his leg and he grunted at the pain, falling forward but rolled to his feet, changing directions. He needed to get back to Dusty without getting crushed, “ _When the wind blows, the cradle will rock…_ ” the ground undulated again and a large boulder rolled into his way.

Heh. Rock.

He slid as he changed directions again, getting a face full of some small bush. He knocked it away and kept moving, cursing inwardly and vowing that when he got his powers back, he wouldn’t walk anywhere for a _year_. He only moved this much when Undyne bribed him and he rarely agreed.

_“When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall…”_

He could see Dusty now, he was on his feet again and ready for him. Bone daggers appeared around him and he fired them forward, his eye lights blazing. He dodged a few and knocked a few away with his branch but continued his forward momentum—

_“And down will come baby cradle and ALL!”_

A large shadow fell over both skeletons who looked up and had the same horrified reaction as a large, uprooted tree came crashing down on top of them.

Dusty vanished.

Hell, not having the luxury of shortcutting, skidded in the snow in an effort to reverse his direction. The tree crashed to the ground and a sound like explosion rippled through the air and along the ground, kicking up snow, dust, and tree debris.

“Ya know. We need ‘im alive, Little Mouse.” Dusty voice sounded behind her and she turned, brows raised.

“Oh, Dusty! I _missed_ you!”

Dusty’s sockets narrowed at her but before he could call her out, she stretched out her hands, palms up, wiggling her fingers, her smile wide and excited, “Gimme!”

He regarded her wordlessly for a moment but the sound of coughing and shuffling behind her made him sigh. Looked like he wasn’t the only one she’d missed, which was fortunate in this particular instance. Still, keeping her in play might scare the idiot into finally telling him what he needed to know. Two bone blades appeared above each of Shiloh’s outstretched hands, causing her to squeal in delight, still riled up from letting loose earlier. She spun gracefully away from Dusty and walked towards the destruction she’d caused.

The dust was clearing and Hell was leaning heavily on the tree. His shirt was dirty and torn in some places, his skull had scuffs and scratches on it and a bit of marrow was leaking out of a deep cut under his left eye. He saw Shiloh coming and straightened, holding his middle.

“Sorry, hon, only way to Dusty is through me.” Shiloh remarked.

“Ugh, you’re doin’ it on purpose, aren’t you?” Hell rasped.

Shiloh tilted her head to one side then the other coyly, “Hold still and I might tell you.” She purred.

He opened his mouth to retort when both of them heard Dusty grunt and hit the ground. Hell stiffened at how fast Shiloh whipped around to see what was wrong. He leaned over to see around her and a wave of relief washed over him, seeing Gecko was back. Nightmare, apparently, had kept his promise and from where he was standing, she looked like she was indeed in one piece.

“Ugh, you have no idea how nice it is to see a familiar fa—” Hell watched her stiffen, “You’re not Hells.”

“Over here, Gecko!” He called.

Annisa jumped and turned her head towards the voice. He sounded, wrong. What was going on? Who had she landed on?! She didn’t see Hells at first, though, she saw a woman who looked strikingly familiar…

“Ms. Rayven?” No. No, she knew it was wrong the moment it left her mouth, “Ms. Shiloh…?” She frowned hard at the woman holding knives in her hands. Beyond her, she finally saw Hells finally and her eyes widened. He looked rough. Annisa scrambled to her feet and hurried over, passing Shiloh without so much as another glance, “What the heck happened?! Are you okay?”

“Yeah, fir sure.” He groaned.

Annisa straightened, “Did you just—”

“What about you? You’re limpin’”

“Uh, yeah. I’m…adequate.” She shrugged.

“Nightmare had her?!”

Hell and Annisa turned towards the voice. Dusty was standing next to Shiloh and she’s no longer holding any knives and looked calm, if not a little tired, her form looking a little translucent.

“Who Is that and why is he with my Alpha’s twin?” Annisa whispered to Hell.

“He was sent by my sister and Axe to come find you.” Shiloh responded for him, making Annisa’s face grow hot.

“Oh. Uh. Thank you!” She smiled nervously at the pair.

“Yeah, yeah. Why’d the Octopus have ya?” Dusty waved his hand dismissively, looking at Annisa intensely.

She shifted from foot to foot a little nervously, “Uh…he said…he wanted me to…work for him?” She finally replied, shrugging.

Dusty and Hell exchange a look.

“Hey, so…as much as it’d be super cool to catch up, think we could move this somewhere warmer?” Annisa continued.

“Heh.” Hell chuckled and sighed, “If that means I’m done running around like an idiot, I’m down.”

Annisa gasped, “You ran?! No way! I’m telling Undyne, she’s gonna be so pumped!”

“Don’t tell Undyne.” Hell immediately replied, looking horrified.

“What, why?” She frowned at him, “She’d be so proud of you!”

“And then make me run with her. Gecko, don’t do it.” He shook his head and straightened.

Shiloh noticed something, “Hey…why are you barefoot?” She frowned.

Annisa also looked down and grimaced, “Oh. Yeah. Crud—argh!” Her sweatshirt, shoes, and socks suddenly rained down on top of her head and fell into the snow. She looked up just in time to see a portal close up. She clicked her tongue in annoyance, “Didn’t have to drop them on my head…” she murmured grumpily.

“Right, let’s get outta here.” Dusty looked grim.

“You got enough juice for a shortcut, Dustman?” Hell asked, a similar expression on his own face.

Dusty sighed, “Yeah, think I got one more. Speaking of shortcuts, what’s the matter with you?” He asked, moving forward and putting a hand on his counterpart’s shoulder

Annisa grimaced as she picked up her stuff. When she straightened, Hell took ahold of her arm, “Yeah, about that…”

Dusty was on the floor.

Dusty was on the floor and he was roaring with laughter.

Hell glared balefully at him with empty sockets, sitting on one of the cots in the dormitory of the lab. Annisa was squinting at the laughing skeleton before looking over at Shiloh who was pinching the bridge of her nose, refusing to look.

“Does he, uh, do this a lot?” She asked quietly.

Shiloh shook her head, “No.”

“Mm.” Annisa nodded, looking back over at Dusty, who seemed to be winding down finally. She cleared her throat, “Um, Mr. Dusty? Sorry to interrupt, but I was gonna take Shiloh over there. Girl talk.” She shrugged, smiling crookedly before looking over at Shiloh who was now regarding her neutrally, “If that’s alright with you, Ms. Shiloh?”

Shiloh blinked and small smile curled her lips before she looked over at Dusty and raised a brow at him.

Dusty was sitting up now, his arm on the cot he was closest too, the one opposite of the one Hell was sitting on. His own brows raised and he finally snorted, “Yeah, sure.”

“We’ll just be over there!” Annisa pointed to the group of bunks on the other side of the room.

“Yeah, yeah.”

Shiloh huffed and headed over, hooking her arm into Annisa’s, tugging her over. She plopped onto a bunk and Annisa took the opposite one, “Sorry if it seemed like I was asking him permission.” Annisa looked down at her lap, fiddling with her clawed fingers.

The other woman shook her head, “Nah, your instincts are good. Don’t worry about it. What about you; are you okay?”

She looked up at Shiloh and stopped herself from answering quickly, taking a deep breath, “I’m…managing.” Annisa nodded, “I’m okay. Undyne is great, I think we’re friends. Hells is…he’s—” She sighed, “I don’t know. We’ve argued a couple times so far but I don’t feel like I’m in danger.”

“He doesn’t have his magic, though.” Shiloh pointed out.

Annisa nodded, “Yeah, there’s that. I don’t know, I guess he’s just trying to adjust to being kind of helpless? I get the feeling he’s not used to listening to anyone, and now, here I am, I outmatch him in physical prowess which is what he now has to rely on, and I’m letting him know that his actions aren’t okay. I think it chafes a bit.” She shrugged, glancing over at them. Dusty is sitting on the bed and the two skeletons are talking as well. She frowns a little and looks over at the other woman.

“What about you?” Her gaze drops to the collar and she lowers her voice, “Do you need help?”

Shiloh looks surprised and then she laughs, “Oh! You’re precious! I like you!”

Annisa’s face grows hot, “Thanks.” She mumbles.

Shiloh shakes her head, wiping her eye, “No, no, I’m fine. I should actually be thanking you. With this little distraction, I’ve been given a bit of a break actually.” She throws a glare towards Dusty. Seeming to sense her regard, Dusty glances over and blows a kiss towards her, grinning cheekily. She huffs and rolls her eyes.

“A break from what?” Annisa inquires, quashing the impulse to smile at the exchange.

Shiloh waves dismissively, shrugging, “Marathon sex.”

Annisa stares. Her palms come together and both hands press against her mouth, her brows drawing together and down as she regards Shiloh, she finally points her claw-tips towards Shiloh, “You dead, though.”

Shiloh snorts a laugh, “Nice.”

Annisa flushes, her hands dropping to her lap, “Sorry.”

“It’s complicated and, you know,” wiggles her fingers, “Magic.”

“Right.” Annisa straightens, “How is everyone? I’m really sorry to make everyone worried. Are they worried?”

“Hah! Of course, they’re worried! They’re your packmates and your alphas!” Shiloh replies prohibitively.

Annisa jumps a little at being chided, “Y-yeah, I suppose. I just. I just got here and I’m causing so much trouble.”

“From what I gathered, trouble found ya and ya throat-punched it. With your fangs. Nice job.” Shiloh smirks.

Annisa doesn’t return the smile, though, “I tried to kill him.” She nearly whispers.

“Well, yeah. He was trying to kill you. What else were you supposed to do?”

“I could have incapacitated him, couldn’t I have? I just got so mad!” she clenched her hands in her lap, “I…didn’t think I’d get that mad again.” She jumped a little as a very pale hand covered hers, pausing her fiddling. Looking up, she saw Shiloh had moved to kneel in front of her.

“I can’t promise everything’s gonna be fine. But I’m pretty sure, whatever adventure you’re on, you’ll continue to face it head on; fangs out.”

Annisa blinked down at Shiloh, her eyes hot. She sniffled, “You think I’m on an adventure?” She asked.

“Hah! You’re in another universe, hon! And, if that collar is any indication, you’re in for quite a ride.”

Annisa frowned, “Collar?”

“Uh…yeah?” Shiloh pointed at her neck.

Annisa’s hands flew to her neck and she froze as her fingers bumped into something warm and hard at her neck. Her hands scrambled and she could feel metal circling her neck. Standing abruptly, she apologized hurriedly as she ran out of the room and towards the washroom Alphys had shown them earlier. She slammed into the room, slapped the light on, and looked in the mirror, her amber eyes widening as they fell on the new accessory adorning her neck.

If she weren’t completely unnerved, she’d have said it was a lovely piece of jewelry. Intricate designs adorned the thin flat surface of the necklace which was secured at the front with a heart shaped gold lock. Instead of a key hole, a crescent moon design was stamped into the metal. Annisa fiddled with the lock, looking all over, her movements becoming more manic. Movement to her left had her turning to Shiloh, who had followed her, “Ms. Shiloh.” Her voice warbled, “I can’t find a keyhole! Can you find the keyhole! There should be one, right? I have to get this off—”

Shiloh moved forward quickly, capturing Annisa’s floundering hands, “ _Shhhh!_ Okay, hold still, hold still now! You have to breathe.” Noticing that she was on her way to full on panic attack of some kind managed to talk her down, holding onto her hands so they didn’t tug at the collar anymore.

“What’s goin’ on?” Dusty’s voice sounded behind Shiloh and he and Hell peeked into the washroom, crammed in the doorway.

“I’m sorry, sweetie, I thought you knew it was there.”

Annisa struggled to get herself together, taking deep breaths so she didn’t pass out from hyperventilating.

“Give us a sec. We’ll be out in a moment.” Shiloh told the guys. Dusty rumbled for a moment but then relented and when they got back to the dorm, they were sitting on the cots, waiting. Annisa sat next to Hell and Shiloh was about to sit next to Dusty but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his lap, ignoring her scowl.

“I’m okay. Just had a little freak out.” She gave a thin laugh. Hell was looking at the collar. He’d noticed it earlier but had been distracted. Focusing on it, now, he frowned and his expression didn’t get any lighter at her next words, “Well, he did say he’d be seeing me around. Are all Sanses this…um…possessive?” She reached up and tugged at the adornment.

“Yes.” Shiloh replied instantly, “Ow!” she scowled at Dusty who only grinned easily at her.

“Speaking of that, when is your heat?” Dusty suddenly asked.

Hell shook his head, “Not for awhile yet.”

Dusty grunted, “Don’t have to remind you, she’s off limits.”

“No.” Hell snapped.

“Hey, so,” Annisa broke in, “Pretending that I’d let Hells anywhere near my vagina—” Hell made a choking noise and Shiloh barked a laugh, “Why do I get the feeling that this is much more than just you warning him off?” She asked Dusty.

“If he were intimate with you, say, during the throes of his heat, his magic would tear you apart from the inside out.”

“But, he doesn’t have any magic. At least, not right now.” Annisa pointed out.

“That’s true—” Dusty froze abruptly, his eye lights going dark. Annisa’s brow’s raised in surprise at the reaction; was it something she’d said? He looked…well, shocked, maybe even shell-shocked. Also, the resemblance to Hell was stronger with his eye lights extinguished, she noted. Speaking of Hells, when she looked over at him, she noticed that while he hadn’t frozen, he did look speculative. What was going on?

Shiloh reached up to touch Dusty’s face, calling his name and like a switch he was back, and he was looking at Shiloh with an odd expression, “What?” she asked.

His gaze moved to Annisa without answering for a moment, “Had a thought. A big thought.” He murmured and Annisa shifted uncomfortably under his heavy gaze.

“With the right dosage, it would mostly likely be possible. We’d have to test it, though.” Hell said aloud, thankfully giving her something else to focus on. He tilted his head and his perma-grin twisted a little, “Then again, you seem to be doing juuust fine.”

Dusty’s gaze switched to Hell, finally releasing Annisa, and his left eye flared in warning. Hell only chuckled, unconcerned and yawned, flashing his canines.

Annisa and Shiloh exchanged a look and both women shook their head. They’d broach the subject later; exhaustion tugged at all of them. As Annisa moved to a cot to use, she thought tiredly that she’d have to thank Alphys again for letting them stay. They hadn’t given her much explanation as to what was going on but she’d allowed them to use the dorm to rest up for the night. When Hell had said he needed to call Undyne, Alphys had volunteered. He and the lizard monster had shared a look before they’d parted ways.

Now, snuggled under the covers, staring up at the dark ceiling, she reached up and fiddled with the lock, unease coiling in her gut. She felt a flash of warmth along the lock and around her neck that made her drop it in surprise. Come to think of it, she’d felt that same flare of warmth when she’d been about to have a nervous breakdown. She turned on her side, burrowing her face in the pillow in dismay at the thought she’d have to see him again, but it seemed it was inevitable. All she could do was follow Shiloh’s advice; face him with fangs out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The collar  
> https://mysecretheartstudios.com/collections/neck-wear/products/submissive-locking-day-collar-14k-gold-filled-soft-sweet-bdsm-slave-collar-romantic-floral-made-to-order-8822g
> 
> Gah! Forgot!  
> Much thanks to RoseDarkfire for letting me borrow Dusty and Shiloh (Mouse). And much thanks for helping me with adjustments!


	6. Tender Incarceration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiloh and Dusty finally get sent home and Annisa begins her adventure keeping an eye on Hellish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I simply took little snapshots of Annisa's time in Hell's universe.  
> Nenek - Grandmother (in Javanese)  
> Song List  
> [Would I Lie To You? - Eurythmics](https://youtu.be/Uhpu2N4rQZM)  
> [I Believe I Can Fly - R Kelly](https://youtu.be/GIQn8pab8Vc)

_“It’s not good for you to be in the house all the time.”_ Nenek _had said earlier that day. So here she was, sitting at a little table out in her grandmother’s back garden, drawing pictures and soaking up the gentle sunlight. She didn’t know how long she’d been sitting there coloring when she realized that someone was there with her. She stopped and turned her head, blinking at her guest. He wasn’t standing too close, as if he knew that it would startle her. As it was, she’d never seen him before. Was he one of_ Nenek’s _friends? How did he get out here without her hearing him; she had very good hearing?_

_He also needed a bathe. Well, maybe? She wasn’t really sure but he seemed to be covered in goopy black stuff but when she looked down at his feet, she didn’t notice he was leaving a mess, so maybe he wasn’t dirty after all? She put her marker down and reached for her small whiteboard, scrawling a question before showing it to the_ goopy man.

Are you a monster?

_He only had one eye, it was a pretty blue color and she watched it flicker down to her whiteboard briefly before looking at her again, the smile he’d already been wearing growing, “I am. You scared?” His voice sounded a bit bubbly and was really deep, like a growl from the big cats she’d seen on the nature show she’d watched. It was a little weird but cool._

_She frowned and shook her head. Turning the whiteboard back towards her, she erased her previous question and wrote something else._

Creators. ~~Nenek~~ Grandma told me.

_“Did she now?”_

_She nodded, smiling proudly._

_“Well, if you already know, do you want to come play with me?” He asked. Her smile dropped and she looked down bashfully before writing on her board again._

Stranger Danger

_He let out a bubbly, growling laugh at her message, “Well, let’s remedy that; I’m Sans. Sans the skeleton.”_

_**Annisa!**_

****

****

****

**_It’s time to wake up._ **

****

****

****

**_Yer seriously gonna want to wake up, kid._ **

****

****

****

Annisa grumbled irritably. She’d been having an interesting dream…hadn’t she? She frowned and burrowed further under the covers. It was warm here and smelled nice. Like licorice and…that earthy scent the air got after rain and…something woodsy. Annisa hummed and scooched closer to the source of the scent.

“Heh. Should I get her reaction on video?”

“Yer gonna do it no matter what I say.”

“…True.”

“Annisa, come on. Dusty and I have been here long enough.”

A gentle weight landed on her shoulder and wiggled gently. She groaned and frowned and blinked her eyes open. As the world came into focus, she became aware of something in front of her. Her frown became an expression of alarm and she gasped.

_WHY WAS SHE IN BED WITH HELLS?!_

She jerked back so violently that she toppled over the side of the bed, landing hard on her back, her legs still on the bed so she settled on the floor in an awkward, half-raised pile. She blinked up at the ceiling and then up at Shiloh who peeked down at her.

She had a rueful look on her face, her mouth quirked upwards on one side, “Good mornin’, sunshine.” She chuckled.

“What’s going on?” Annisa croaked.

“That’s what we wanna know, kid.” Dusty entered her field of vision, tucking something into his pocket as he leered down at her, “Thought you weren’t letting him anywhere near yer vagina.”

Alarm ricochet through her, “Oh no, did we have sex?!” She shrieked making Dusty wince back and Shiloh glare over at him.

“Wha?! No, we went over this; you’d be dead.” He finally replied, wiggling the tip of his phalanges in one of his ear holes.

Then what was she doing in the same bed as Hells? They’d gone to bed in different bunks last night. It was unlikely that Hells migrated to her bed; generally, when he went down to sleep, he stayed down. Which meant that it was her that had done the migrating, but why—

“Oh.” Her expression flattened.

“What?” Shiloh asked.

“I woke up to get some water. I was still half asleep. I simply crawled into the first bunk I came to when I came back. Thought I’d aimed for mine, but…” Annisa’s expression darkened, “Is it weird that skeletons are so snuggly? That’s weird, right?”

An expression passed quickly over Shiloh’s face before disappearing but her gaze slid to Dusty before averting again. It all happened within a few seconds but Dusty noticed and tilted his head, “What?”

“Nothin’” She sniped.

“Little Mouse.” His voice pitched a bit lower. Annisa raised her brows, watching the two of them from her spot on the floor.

“I said it was nothin’.” She scowled at him.

He looked a little like he wanted to laugh as a deep growl rumbled out of his chest. Shiloh returned his growl with one of her own, glaring at him mulishly. Annisa’s eyes bounced between the two for a moment before he released her own growl into the air. The other two looked down at her in puzzlement. 

Under their scrutiny, Annisa shrugged. “I felt left out.”

Shiloh rolled her eyes, “You going to get up?” She finally grumped down at her.

Annisa nodded eagerly, “Yeah!” But then proceeded to stare up at the other woman, motionless. Dusty let out a short huff laughter and Shiloh scoffed, throwing her hands up and stomping away from both of them.

“As fun as it is to see you tease my little mouse, we really need to get going. HELLP Syndrome over there needs to let me into his lab so we can use his machine.” He pointed his chin over at Hell’s sleeping form. Annisa noticed that Dusty and Hells seemed to have less than complimentary nicknames for each other. Just before going to bed, Hells had dropped a bombshell on Dusty, though.

“Your machine works?!” He’d stared at Hell as if he’d sprouted another head.

“Of course, my machine works! Who do you take me for; Classic?” Hells had sneered back at his counterpart, “Anyway, figure I’d save you the energy getting back. Figure it’s the least I can do as thanks for not killing me. Gave it the old college try, though, didn’t you? Too bad.” He’d simpered then smirked.

“’m feelin’ much better now if you want to give it another go.” Dusty had growled, his eye lights flaring.

“Could you not, though?” Annisa had been quick to jump in, “Please?” She’d beseeched to two men eye…socketing each other. She’d sent a silent pleading look towards Shiloh.

The other woman had sighed before slipping her arm across Dusty’s shoulders, her chin resting on one of them, “’m sleepy…” she’d mumbled at him, looking like she’d settled all her weight on him. The tension had built as neither skeleton broke eye contact and said nothing. Annisa had poked at Hell’s ribs.

“Come on, Hells, it’s too late for all this.” She’d murmured. The moment had stretched for a few more agonizing seconds before both of the men looked away from each other at the same time. Hells had clicked his tongue and Dusty had huffed, slipping his arm around Shiloh and hauling her off to a bunk across the room.

“I’ll wake you in the morning.” Annisa had said to Hell, “I know you like your beauty rest but try not to be a total jerk about it, ‘kay?”

Hell had grunted and turned away, plodding to the bunk of his choosing.

Annisa now finally climbed to her feet, straightening her clothes, “I’ll get him up. He’ll be grumpy as all get out.” She groaned making her way to the other side of the bunk. It wasn’t really advisable to be close to him when he was forced awake but she didn’t want to be leaning over with her center of gravity thrown off; Hells had lashed out last time she’d forced him awake before he was ready and she wanted to be ready. Reaching into her sweatshirt pocket, she pulled free the vial of special smelling salts Alphys had created for just these occasions.

Popping open the lid she waved it slowly under Hell’s nose hole, watching him closely. She was ready for it, so when a skeletal hand shot forward towards her, phalanges curled into claws, she easily knocked it down. The force of it, however, overbalanced Hell and he topped over the side of the bed, landing hard on the ground. Annisa grimaced as she stepped back; that hadn’t been intentional.

“What the fu--?”

“Good morning!” She chirped, cutting him off.

“Gecko…? Why ya knockin’ me outta bed? What time is it? Never mind, I don’t care, ‘s too early.” He rumbled. He sounded a bit like Dusty in his groggy state.

“Come on Hells, let’s get Dusty and Shiloh out of here then you can go back to sleep.” She moved her tail forward and used to tip of it to delicately tickle Hell’s nasal ridge. It wrinkled under her teasing ministrations and his sockets blinked open. Although his eye lights were absent, she could tell he was looking at her, well, glaring at her. He reached up to knock her tail away but she moved it just in time that he missed only to return it to tickling his nose again. He tried again. _Missed._ Again. _Missed._ _Missed._ _Miss_ —

The sound someone clearing their throat distracted Annisa enough that when Hell made a grab for her tail, he caught it, gripping the tip tightly in his bony hand. A sensation travelled like lighting up her tail, up her spine, and all the way up to back of her head, making her jerk and squeak in an undignified manner. She whipped her head around to glare balefully at Dusty, heat tingling through her bloodstream and making her brown cheeks flare with a rosy color.

“If y’all are done flirtin’, can we get this show on the road?” Dusty drawled.

“Flir—!?” The heat in her face increased and she jerked and squawked as Hell squeezed her tail once before letting go. He was smirking up at her cheekily and she growled at him, her tail slamming down towards him in retribution but he saw it coming so he rolled under the bunk so that her tail smacked harmlessly against the ground where he’d been laying. He popped up on the far side of the bunk, his smile wide.

“Sooner you’re outta here, sooner I can go back to sleep.” Hell agreed, ignoring Annisa’s death glare as he headed for the exit.

“Ya sure I can’t convince ya to come back with us?” Shiloh, Annisa, and Dusty stood outside of Hell’s house in Deadin. Dusty had taken through a shortcut here and Hell had instructed them to wait outside. He’d then entered the house through a door next to what looked like a hastily patched hole.

Annisa shook her head, “I’ll stay and keep an eye on the bonehead.” She shrugged; her smile rueful.

“What, so ya gonna be his warden or somethin’?” Shiloh snorted.

“Ha! Well, I guess? It’s just…it’d really bother me if I left when he’s not…whole. I was the one who rendered him that way, so…” She turned her attention to the front of the house, “Wonder what’s up with that hole in the wall…” she mused.

The sound of someone coughing had both women looking over at the skeleton standing next to Shiloh. Dusty had turned away and wasn’t looking at them. Shiloh raised a pale brow, “Something ya wanna share with the class?” She asked, her voice thick with amusement.

He coughed into his hand and finally turned his head just enough so that he was peering at her sidelong. Before he could respond, however, Hell appeared in the doorway.

“Aw, Dust Bath, you don’t wanna tell them about the Dusty-shaped hole in the wall of my house?” He teased, cackling.

Annisa started forward, “I’m sure it’s a riveting story but weren’t you the one whining about going back to sleep earlier?” She mounted the steps towards the wrap-around porch and stopped in front of, tilting her head as she looked up at him. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to hear the story; on the contrary, she was very interested in why at some point in the past Dusty went flying through that section of the wall. However, she what she wasn’t interested in was watching Hells rile up Dusty. The other skeleton had a full night sleep under his metaphorical belt and didn’t have venom running rampant through his system; in short, Dusty was in tip top shape and Annisa didn’t feel like trying and perhaps failing to convince him against trying to tear Hells limb from limb.

_His warden? No, more like his handler at the rate we’re going_ , she mused. She jerked her chin forward wordlessly inquiring if they were going to do this or not. She knew, she just knew that he rolled his eyes at her despite his lightless sockets right before he turned and led the way into the house. She heard Dusty and Shiloh come up behind her so she didn’t bother looking back to see if they were coming as she followed Hell into the house. Well, she heard Dusty. Shiloh didn’t really impact her environment all that much. 

She wasn’t sure what the rules were for an entity like Shiloh but she only seemed really corporeal when I direct contact with Dusty. Dusty himself was a bit of an enigma for her as well. Whenever she wasn’t looking at him directly, she noticed that splash of red sort of floating near him. Managing not to jerk around to look at him every time had been a challenge. The times she had done it, whatever it was hadn’t been in sight. She’d elected not to mention it to him or even Shiloh, for that matter and just let it go. They’d be leaving soon and really, if she were meant to find out about it, she’d find out about it. No use stressing about it.

The house smelled…vacant. Like, dust and loneliness, which was odd since a house couldn’t feel lonely…could it? She brushed those thoughts aside as Hells led them down a passage under the main staircase of the house. The hidden staircase was cramped and led to an impressive looking door that was already ajar. The room Annisa stepped in looked…familiar. She paused, looking around, trying to figure out why she knew this room. The walls were a soft lavender color. There was what looked like a control panel with all sorts controls and not far from that stood a rounded dais, partially closed off. The floor of the raised area was a dark crimson color and there were six glowing circles in the floor, perfectly spaced from each other. It was all sort of science fiction-y but in a retro kind of way.

“Hey, Hells…?” She asked, moving away from the door so that Shiloh and Dusty could come in too.

“Yeah?” He asked, sounding distracted. He’d already moved to the stand-alone control panel and was flipping switches and turning dials, “You two, pick a spot on the platform.” He instructed.

“Is this…the transporter room from—?”

“A-yup.” He replied, cutting her off. Shiloh had moved to the platform as instructed but Dusty had wandered over to Hell to see what he was doing.

“Make sure to send us to Axe’s universe. Gotta report back.”

Hell paused what he was doing, “Can’t you just text him?” He inquired, quirking a brow bone at his alternate.

“He’s gonna want the personal touch for this. He’s the kid’s Alpha, after all. That stuff is serious.” Dusty pointed out

“Not to mention what Rayven will do to ya if ya blow ‘em off like that.” Dusty shuddered.

Annisa had gone to join Shiloh who regarded her with a warm but rueful smile, “Don’t let him push you around, okay? Even when he gets his magic back.” She admonished quietly.

Annisa nodded seriously, “Yes, ma’am.”

Shiloh snorted then looked up. Annisa turned to see Dusty approaching, leaving Hells at the panel. Annisa waited until Dusty standing before her before she tilted her head back up to beam up at him, “Thanks for coming to get me. Sorry, I’m sending you off empty-handed.” She grimaced a bit, looking off to the side. She squawked when a large hand landed on her head and ruffled her hair so neither of them noticed Hell’s red eye light flicker to life for a brief moment. Not that it had gone completely unobserved.

“Not gonna pretend I understand your decision to stick around with this bum but yer a grown lizard so,” he shrugged, “Take care of yourself.”

Annisa huffed, pushing his hand away, “Excuse you, sir, I’m am no mere ‘lizard.’” She declared with mock affront, “I’m an ever-lovin’ dragon, thank you very much.” She planted her fists on her hips, looking Dusty straight into his mismatched eye lights boldly, “Without wings but, whatever.” She tacked on, waving one of her claws back and forth dismissively.

Dusty chuckled, “My apologies, kid.” He moved to join Shiloh on the platform, “Welp, Hell Spawn, it’s been real. It’s been fun—”

“But I can’t say it’s been real fun, Dust Bath.” Hell finished. The women rolled their eyes and Annisa moved back to join Hell behind the console, watching his skeletal hands fly skillfully over the controls.

“So,” she heard Dusty address Shiloh, his grin was particularly broad, “Ya think I’m cuddly, do ya?” She pressed her lips together to keep from making a sound as Shiloh flipped off her mate before disappearing. Dusty was laughing as he too vanished from the platform.

“AND THEN YOU JUST _LEFT_ HER THERE?!” Rayven’s arms were spread as she shouted incredulously as she stared at her sister and Dusty.

Dusty was squinting at the sudden outburst so it was Shiloh who replied, “Relax, Ray, she’s fine.”

“’Fine’?! This Hellish character is a homicidal maniac who abducted her. What part of that sounds fine to you?” Rayven retorted sharply.

“Why do you think she’s fine?” Axe asked, his deep voice quieter than his Mate’s. While he did appear calm, he wasn’t doing too much better than Rayven was inwardly. He had heard about this particular Sans Alternate from Dusty. Not much; Dusty sometimes would rant about him but it made him particularly irritable so Axe had never gotten too much information. What he did know was that Hell or Hellish as he was sometimes known had a higher LV than Dusty, which he hadn’t even known was possible.

He’d also, apparently, culled a large chunk of the monster population in his Underground when he’d been younger but graduated to jumping dimensions and culling the Sans population in other universes, which explained his hideously high LV. Hence, why he wanted to know why they thought Annisa would be fine in his company. He is not encouraged when Dusty and Shiloh glance at each other

“Well, for one thing,” Dusty begins, “He can’t use his magic right now and Annisa can hand his bony ass to him, claws down.”

His brow bones raised in surprise and he traded a look with Rayven, seeing her identical expression.

“Why, what’s wrong with his magic?” He asked.

Shiloh cackled, “Did you know that Annisa is venomous? Turns out during their first encounter, she bit the crap outta him and it knocked out his magic.” She grinned viciously while dispensing that data.

“He’s got enough access to his magic to, ya know, function but he can’t summon attacks, he can’t shortcut, and we theorized that he can’t go into heat either, so she’s safe from all that. Still warned her, though.” Axe relaxed marginally at hearing that but a sudden thought occurred to him, making him tense again.

“What’s the other thing?” He rumbled.

Dusty grimaced slightly, “Heh. Well, seems like…Nightmare has taken an interest in your little dragon.”

“… _w h a t_ ?”

Rayven whipped her head around, “What, who’s Nightmare?”

“Out-code Sans.” Dusty replied quickly.

“ _Why_ was Nightmare there? How did they even meet?” Axe asked, exasperated. This was getting out of hand.

“You know how he likes to have a squad. I’m not the only one he tried to recruit to his little club. From what I gather, Hell gets visits from him too.”

“Is Relic still with him?”

Dusty nodded, “From what Annisa described during her ‘interview’ he’s the one whose sternum she cracked.” He chuckled darkly, “Bet that hurt.”

“Think he dusted?”

“With Nightmare right there? Nah. With me ‘n’ Hellish refusin’ him, Relic’s his favorite puppet.”

“Alright fellas, back up. A little more on this Nightmare character, please?” Rayven insisted.

“He’s considered an out-code because he doesn’t really have a universe like Axe and myself. Well, he did. Him ‘n’ his bro Dream, actually. Stuff happened, dunno, Dream doesn’t really like me. Long ‘n’ short of it is, Nightmare feeds on negative emotion and his bro is the opposite. They hate each other.”

“Your decision to leave her there—” Rayven was growling.

“Wasn’t our decision, Ray.” Shiloh cut her off, holding up her pale hand, “Annisa wanted to stay.”

Rayven sighed, closing her eyes and rubbed her temples, “But why? He attacked her, would have killed her if she hadn’t…bitten him.” She frowned; they’d have to talk to her about that when she finally got her tail back here.

“She didn’t feel right hobblin’ him like she did then leaving him defenseless. Honestly, she seems the type to punch someone in the face and then offer a tissue when their nose starts bleedin’ even though they had it comin.’”

_She could also twist someone’s head off their shoulders_ , Axe mused but then sighed remembering what she’d told him, _As a last resort._

“Justice SOUL.” Axe rumbled.

“Justice SOUL.” Dusty agreed.

“Yeah, well for Nightmare ta collar her, she’s gotta be more than just a justice SOUL, right?” Shiloh mumbled.

And the hits just keep on coming. Axe brought his hands up to his face and simply just sat there, existing for a few moments.

“Yeeah, forgot to mention that.” He heard Dusty say which sparked a string of loud expletives from Axe. Rayven moved to sit close enough so she was touching him, which helped but this was an unmitigated disaster. Taking a deep, steadying breath he finally dropped his hands and leveled a look at his alternate.

“Why don’t you start from the beginning?”

“Sooooo….” Annisa stood on the porch, waiting for Hell to finish whatever he was doing in the house. She’d wanted to explore, had even pointed towards the second floor asking if she could look but he’d stopped her and she hadn’t pushed it, “How did the Dusty-shaped hole happen?” She asked. Hell appeared, closing the door as he joined her on the porch.

“Eh, not that interesting of a story. He showed up one day on the war path. He seemed…despondent. Anyway, he was lookin’ for a fight, so I gave it to him. Then he left. Idiot.” He huffed, shaking his head as he went down the steps.

“Did he say what was bothering him?” She asked, following after him.

“Do I look like his therapist?” Hell scoffed, tossing her a look.

She narrowed her eyes at him, “Trust me, Hells, you don’t want to know what the fugue I think you look like.”

Hell stopped and turned to look at her slowly, his sockets and grin stretched wide, “O- _ho_! I knew you liked pu—” He was cut off by a loud, burbling, growling noise. Annisa covered her stomach, her face growing hot.

Hell blinked in surprise, looking down at her midsection before chuckling, “Hungry, Gecko?”

“I’m not a—”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. No need to grumble about it. Come on, I know a place.” He turned and walked away with a smirk.

Annisa followed reluctantly, “That was terrible…” She mumbled, not that hers was all that good either.

“Ya want me to feed you or not?” He called over his shoulder. Annisa shut her mouth and hurried to catch up.

It didn’t take long for her to realize where he was taking her and when she did, her excitement went through the roof. She gasped and grabbed ahold of Hell’s sleeve, tugging and hopping up and down, looking from hum to the illuminated sign.

Hell chuckled, “You seem a bit excited there, Gecko.” He commented casually.

“It’s Grillby, right? Grillby’s still alive right?!” She chirped urgently.

“Wha—of course he’s alive!” Hell scowled at her.

“Don’t look at me with that tone of face; you know how you are.” She dismissed easily, making Hell huff but drop the subject.

“Why you so heated to see Grillby, you got a crush on him or something?” He teased. His brows climbed when she didn’t immediately reply and he looked down at her.

“Well, I mean…”

“NO WAY!” He gasped, looking at her, scandalized.

She threw her head back and laughed at his expression, her genuine, unguarded mirth making him blink, “What’s that look for? You don’t think I could land him? Think he’s too hot for me to handle?”

An odd feeling in his chest had him stammering incoherently.

“Well, you’d be right. Don’t get me wrong, I’m fond of him, and hoo-buddy is he hot and all, but,” she extended an index finger, “He’s taken, and” she extended her ring finger, “He’s kinda more like an uncle/father figure to me. He gave me a job and he’s been really supportive; him and Snow; that’s his Special Someone. She’s great. They both are.” Her tone wistful as they drew closer to the bar.

Hell didn’t say anything for a few beats before grunting, “Well, this Grillby ain’t taken so try not to fall for him, yeah?”

Annisa slanted him a look, “Why, you got your eye sockets on him or something?” She cackled as purple bloomed across his face, his eye lights flickering to life for a moment as he glared down at her, “Stars, you are so easy! Calm down, Hells Bells, I’m not looking for anything like that, anyway.” She flapped her claw at him. He paused outside the door.

“What if it’s lookin’ for you?” He asked.

“Ha, well, I’ve managed to scare all those who tried sniffing around,” she scoffed, not noticing how he stiffened, “Not that there were a lot. One was more than enough, though, yeesh.” She finally frowned at him, “We going in or what?”

He gave her a flat look, “What.” He replied shortly before tugging the door open and stepping inside. He stopped inside the doorway, but with enough space for her to enter and let the door close behind her. The already hushed conversation silenced as they saw who had entered. Annisa peered around Hell’s larger body at the inhabitants. There were a mix of monsters sitting at tables and a couple at the bar. The sudden heavy atmosphere became heavier as they caught sight of her.

Annisa’s gaze swept the room, noting the décor reminded her more of a tavern than Flare’s place; all hardwood and warm atmosphere; well, except now. It was a bit tense now and Hell seemed determined to have a stare down with everyone. She, however, was more interested in the fire monster who appeared from the back. She let out a happy chirp and moved around Hell and approached the bar quickly, beaming. The sound had him looking up and watching her approach.

She clambered onto a stool, her smile wide, and the tip of her tail flicking back and forth, “You’re Grillby! Hi, I’m Annisa, I’m staying with Hells and Undyne for a little while.” This Grillby’s flames, Annisa noted, were a rich indigo color that faded into a bright violet at the edges. Behind his spectacles, his violet gaze flicked up towards Hell, who she could hear coming up behbd her.

“I see my reputation proceeds me.” Grillby finally responded, his voice like the snap and pop of a fire, with an underlying growl.

“Yeah, I told you not to fall for him, Gecko.” Hell chuckled as Annisa threw him a mulish look before smirking at him.

“Well, what else am I supposed to do, what with your singing him praises all the way here?” She cooed.

Hell sputtered, that purple flush returning with a vengeance.

“That was you!” He snapped.

Annisa gasped, putting her claw to her chest, looking affronted, “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about. Really, Hells, there’s no need to be shy.”

Hell looked apoplectic, “YOU—”

“Children.” Grillby’s whispery voice cut in, “As much fun as it appears you are having, I assume you’re here to order something?” He violet gaze flicked Hell who subsided in his seat, grumbling. His gaze moved to Annisa and he held out his hand, “It is nice to meet you, Miss Annisa.”

She took his hand without hesitation, “Sorry for the commotion.” She replied sheepishly and the proceeded to gape as he took her hand and bowed over it. She turned her gob-smacked look towards Hell and even though his eye lights weren’t visible, she knew he rolled them. Grillby released her hand as Hell flapped his own phalanges at her.

“Hurry up and order, Gecko, and roll your tongue back into your head.”

Annisa stuck her said tongue out at Hell before turning back to Grillby who let a soft snort at her as she beamed at him, “Would it be too much trouble to get some pancakes?” She asked civily.

Grillby shook his head, “No trouble at all.” He replied promptly. She didn’t notice Hell perking up next to her but Grillby did and turned to him, “Should I add that to your regular?” He asked knowingly.

“You’re the best, Grillbz.” Hell’s grin was easy as he pointed finger guns at the fire monster.

Grillby huffed as he started towards the back, “Maybe you’ll do your best to work on your tab.” He tossed over his shoulder as he disappeared from view.

Annisa was grinning from ear to ear. She slanted a look at the grumbling Hell, “You sure I can’t fall in love with him?” She asked, fluttering her lashes.

He scowled, “I’m sure.” He growled menacingly.

Her eye stretched for a moment, impressed how intimidating he looked. She supposed she could have pretended to be cowed…Instead she squinted at him a moment before leaning forward, “Are you sure you don’t have a thing for him?” She whispered.

Hell blinked at her, his shoulders relaxing a bit before he glanced around before motioning for her to move closer as if to tell her a secret. Surprised, she did as he instructed before luring back as he suddenly flicked her forehead.

“I told you no.” He replied calmly.

Annisa laughed as she rubbed the spot he’d flicked, “Ow, you jerk!” She giggled, “I’m only teasing.”

“You play too much.”

“Impossible!”

“At it again, I see.” Grillby was back. He placed a plate with a stack of three steaming pancakes in front of Annisa. They looked fluffy and delicious and her mouth began to water. Hell’s plate also held pancakes but next to them, a heaping pile of fluffy scrambled eggs. Annisa felt a stab of regret that she didn’t also order some eggs but held her tongue.

“Ooooh, these look delicious!” She gushed. Grillby placed the syrup and her cutlery next, followed by Hell’s and a nondescript bottle of ketchup. Hell looked at it sidelong.

“Yeah, thanks, Grillbz. This the new stuff?” He asked.

“New stuff?” Grillby asked innocently.

“Yeah, the stuff I called you about. You said you’d look into it.” Sans frowned slightly.

Grillby placed his hand on his chin thoughtfully, “Ah, yes, the new stuff. I looked into it.”

Annisa pressed her lips together to stop herself from laughing as Hell’s frown grew darker at Grillby’s apparent uncooperativeness regarding whatever it was these two were talking about.

“Well?” Hell spread his.

“It’s in the back.” He replied, smiling.

Hell sighed, “Can I get it?”

“You going to pay some on your tab?”

“You know I’m good for it.”

“In that case, yes, you can get it. It’s in the cabinet by the stove.”

Realizing Grillby was telling him he could get it himself, he groaned at the ceiling.

“Food’s gettin’ cold, son.” He admonished; his voice tinged with amusement.

Clicking his tongue, Hell hopped to the floor and made his way around the bar and towards the pass-through. Just before he disappeared into the back he growled, “You’re not my dad.” With absolutely no heat. Annisa snickered at his behavior.

“ **Now, then**.” She stiffened at the sudden tone shift. Grillby’s voice was a bit more growly now and she turned her head slowly to look at him. His violet gaze on her was hard and cool, which was a real trick considering what kind of monster he was.

“Now, then?” She squeaked uncertainly. What had she done? Maybe Hells was right; maybe she did play too much and she was about to get it for teasing him by an over-protective flaming dad type.

“What’s your game, little girl?” He rumbled, crossing his arms, “I must warn you that Hellish is not someone to trifle with and if that was your aim, I’d _strongly_ encourage you to cease and desist.” The violet in the Grillby’s flames was more prominent now, they flared as he spoke this warning.

“Uh…it’s like I told you—”

“I know.” He cut her off, making her blink.

“…what do you know?” She asked.

He leaned forward and his heat wafted over Annisa. She struggled to hold her ground and not lean back away from him and succeeded. Barely. If this is what she thought it was, Grillby was far and above more terrifying than Undyne.

“I know what. You. Are.” He hissed. Annisa froze, then closed her eyes, taking a deep steadying breath, “What I don’t know is what you are doing here. If you’re thinking to use him as a shield from the others, or perhaps clout that will give you license to misbehave down here—”

“Undyne knows too.” Annisa hurriedly informed him, “She knows and still allowed me to stay. Also, I’m not sure…if you’re just warning me or warning me away but I’m not here to cause trouble.”

He seemed to pause at the information about Undyne but didn’t let up yet, “If you think you can use him for anything and he finds out about it. It will not go well for you.” He warned lowly.

Annisa shook her head, “Use him? For what? I can fight my own battles. He’ll tell you that. And, it’s not like I’ve seen him help around the house for the short time I’ve been here.” She paused, eyeing him suspiciously before the proverbial lightbulb flickered to life in her mind, “ _Oh!_ No! Oh no, no, no, _stars_ no! We are not like that at all.” She waved her hands frantically in the negative. She gave a breathy little laugh, “Heh, you thought.” She giggled at the absurdity of it, “Yeah, bet I’m not even his type, honestly. I’d irritate him to death.”

Grillby seemed to relaxed at her frazzled outburst. He hummed thoughtfully, “Not his type?”

Annisa snorted, “Most definitely not.”

“Hm.” Grillby grunted.

She frowned at him, “Hey, Mr, G?” She asked slowly and for a moment, he thought she’d correctly interpreted the doubt in his expression.

“Yes, dear—”

“Monster food doesn’t get cold.” She finished.

Grillby stared at her, his thoughts pausing for a moment before he sighed and decided to just let them figure it out on their own; however long that took. He chuckled in response to her statement, “Sans is very smart. Sometimes.” He winked at her just as the skeleton himself came bursting out of the back.

“I looked in all the cabinets and it’s not back there!” He protested throwing up his arms in frustration as he returned to his food.

“Hmm, oh dear. I could have sworn I put it there.”

Annisa squinted at him before turning her attention to her pancakes, sucking her cheeks in.

“Oh, silly me! It’s right here.” Grillby pulled a bottle from below the bar and set it next to his plate. It was similar to the first one but this one had a flame design on it, “Sorry about that, my boy. Old age, you know, memory isn’t what it used to be.” He stated innocently, picking up a glass to clean as Hell squinted at him as well. He let it go, though, and upturned the bottle over his eggs and pancakes. Grillby wandered away from them ad Annisa peered over at Hell’s plate.

“Psst!”

“I’m sitting right next to you; you don’t need to psst at me.” He rolled a look over to her.

“Can I try some of your eggs?”

He turned towards her to say something but then paused, thought better of it, and scowled at the bar for a moment.

“It’s okay, you don’t—ah, just a little!” she squeaked as he moved his plate towards her and scooped half his eggs onto her plate.

“Eat, then let’s go.” Was all he said gruffly, tucking into his own meal.

Annisa turned her attention to the ketchup covered eggs, glancing at him again, “Thank you.” She murmured and took a bit of the eggs. The flavor made her perk up, “Ooh, spicy!” She chirped happily.

**First Week**

Hell snorted awake, staring at the celling. For a moment he stared up at the uninteresting surface before closing his eyes again with a groan. Rolling into a sitting position, his legs dangling over the side of his bed, he opened his sockets again and stilled, looking at the state of his room. His floor was clear of dirty clothes, the socks that were usually scattered pell-mell about his room were curiously absent. His trash tornado was still there but there wasn’t any trash in it, which, he supposed just made it a tornado. His room also smelled fresher as well. Squinting, he looked over at his rarely used hamper to find it empty. Squinting harder, he stood and moved to his chest of drawers. Pulling one open, he noticed the gathering of now clean socks, all bunched together in paired sock balls inside.

Closing that drawer, he opened another to see clean white shirts galore folded neatly inside. Another drawer yielded the sight of clean shorts and sweatpants all folded neatly and standing upright for easy access. He grimaced slightly and tilted his head. How long had the music been playing? It was coming from downstairs. Downstairs. Looking at the time, he knew that Undyne would already be at work by now, which meant there was only one person that could be downstairs playing music. Which also meant that there was only one person who would have done his laundry because there was no way in, heh, hell Undyne was going to do it.

Sighing, he eye-socketed the clean shorts then looked down at the clothes he’d fallen asleep in. He’d taken off his red hoodie and the shirt he was wearing looked…dingy in comparison to the ones in his drawer. There was also a stain on the shorts he was wearing. 

He scowled, _Why should I care? Why am I even thinking about this?_ But he didn’t move immediately. Finally, growling at himself, he slammed the drawer closed and turned to swipe up his discarded hoodie. He didn’t know what possessed him to bring it to his nasal cavity for a test sniff but the scent that slammed into him had his head jerking backwards. When was the last time this was washed?! Did he just walk around…smelling like that?!

Hell cursed and threw the hoodie in the general direction of his hamper and stomped towards his closet. Of course, there was a selection of other hoodies hanging up neatly in there and he snatched one free and was about to put it on but then paused. If his sweatshirt smelled like…that what did the rest of his clothes smell like?

Don’t worry about it. Don’t worry about it. Don’t worry about it. Don’t wo—

Hell glared at himself in the bathroom mirror. It was still a little foggy from is shower. Why did he take a shower? He was in fresh clothes too. The hoodie he’d snatched earlier was a red, zip-up affair with a black jolly roger design on the upper right chest and a larger duplicate design on the back. The design was a bit faded but still easily visible. Stars, he even had new socks on. He closed his sockets hard and muttered under his breath, shaking his head at himself. This had never been a problem before. He’d bathe when Undyne would bodily throw him into the bathroom to do so, he’d clean his room when he tripped too many times over the same junk on his floor, he’d hop to other dimensions when he got bored and cull the herd of useless alternates, he’d putter around town unbothered by anyone, confident in the fact that no one had the power level to bother him in the first place; things had been _fine._ There wasn’t music playing, or someone humming, or tidying up around the house all the time. He didn’t have a homecooked breakfast the days he managed to actually wake up. The house was usually silent when he woke up, only livening up when Undyne came back from work and they’d spend the evening shooting the breeze or watching TV. He hadn’t seen Undyne this relaxed since her and Alphys…

It’s her fault.

Why did she have to change everything?

She’s only been here a week!

This is her fau—

A knock made him jump, “Yeah?” To his further irritation, his voice broke.

“Oh! Sorry to bother, I heard you putting around. I made pancakes, come on down when you’re ready!” He heard her muffled voice on the other side of the door.

“Yeah, okay. Be out in a sec.” He responded, evening his tone now that his soul wasn’t lodged in his non-existent throat anymore. He heard her pad away and go back downstairs. Humming. Always humming and singing, that girl. She’d basically co-opted his guitar. Not that he’d kicked up a fuss about it, but he’d noticed that its temporary home was in the living room nowadays where she slept.

Heaving a sigh, he pushed himself away from the counter, glancing at his appearance again in the mirror, _Guess I clean up pretty good_ , he thought wryly to himself then snorted and left the bathroom.

(Would I lie to you?)

He could hear the beginnings of a song playing on what he was pretty sure was the boombox Undyne had found at the dump and had needled him to get it working again. Annisa had moved it to the kitchen at some point since she liked to listen to music while she did…everything.

(Would I lie to you honey?

Now would I say something that wasn’t true

I’m asking you sugar

Would I lie to you?)

He reached the kitchen doorway just as Annisa belted out the lyrics of the first verse.

My friends, know what's in store.  
I won't be here anymore.  
I've packed my bags  
I've cleaned the floor.  
Watch me walkin'.  
Walkin' out the door.

Her back was to the doorway, so she didn’t see him as she sang into the top of the broom she’d presumably been using. She bounced and danced in time with the beat.

(Believe me), I’ll make it make it

(Believe me), I’ll make it make it!

Would I lie to you?

She finally turned around and saw him in the doorway and he saw her eyes widen for a moment in surprise at her surprise audience. She missed the next line. He’d noticed her lack of tail when her back was turned and now that she was facing him, he saw that she was indeed in her fully human form.

(Would I lie to you, honey?)

But picked it back up again.

Now, honey, would I lie to you?

She’d raised her brow at him as she’d sung it.

(Now would I say something that wasn’t true?

I’m asking you sugar

Would I lie to you?)

Still using the broom handle as her “microphone” she continued to sing along with the boombox, this now turning into an impromptu performance. He raised a brow bone back at her, his head bopping slightly to the beat; he remembered finding this cassette along with a box of other ones.

Tell you straight, no intervention.  
To your face, no deception.  
You're the biggest fake.  
That much is true.  
Had all I can take.  
Now I'm leaving you

The track had the sounds of a motorcycle engine revving and Annisa pantomimed the action, letting out a flawless high note along with the singer on the track.

(Believe me), I’ll make it make it

Oh, yes, I will

(Believe me) I’ll make it, make it

Would I lie to you?

I’ll make it, make it

(Would I lie to you, honey)

Uh-huh, uh-huh

Now, would I saw something that wasn’t true

I’m asking you sugar

Would I lie-ie-ie-ie

Cue the jam session. Both his brows raised in surprise as Annisa danced her way over to him, leaning the broom against the wall by the doorway so she could claim his hand and draw him further into the kitchen. She managed to snag his other hand as she danced backwards. It made him chuckle and he obliged to spinning her. It didn’t take long until both of them were dancing around the kitchen as the song continued. Hell couldn’t help thinking that maybe…a little change wasn’t so bad?

**Second Week**

A loud crashing sound startled Hell so badly that he fell out of bed. He popped up into a crouching position almost immediately, his red eye light flaring to life, looking for the threat. When none was immediately forthcoming, his eye extinguished and he frowned. More commotion coming from outside had him straightening up and heading out of his bedroom. Whatever was happening was happening close by. As he moved through the living room to the front door, a scent caused him to pause. The sound of a tree falling and a shout made him tense but he still diverted his path towards the kitchen. What he saw made his perma-smile droop.

He recognized the bottle from Grillby’s place; he thought Undyne had gotten rid of all the booze in the house. A glass was tipped over next to it, the amber liquid having spread to the edge of the table and was dripping to the floor. Gritting his teeth, he went to the front door and opened it. He watched as Undyne brought her giant hammer down towards Annisa. The action made his body lock up in alarm and his soul stutter in his chest. Annisa skipped backwards out of the way, however and the hammer crashed to the ground with a resounding explosion of noise, leaving an impressive crater.

Annisa darted forward and launched into the air, both of her feet planting into Undyne’s chest and sending her flying backwards. She rolled and slid, coming to a stop as her back struck the base of a nearby tree. She grunted at the impact and groaned as she climbed to her feet. Annisa, who Hell noticed was in her partially shifted form moved forward, reaching for abandoned hammer. She hefted it easily and proceeded to fling it towards Undyne in a two-handed over-head throw. The weapon spun alarmingly fast as it closed in on its target. Seeing the incoming missile, Undyne ducked handily and the hammer struck the tree she’d been standing in front of before proceeding to crash through the tree, leaving a jagged stump behind.

Hell grimaced at the damage. Undyne glanced behind her and whistled. Annisa blew her hair out of her face and started running forward, causing Undyne to growl and start forward as well. Undyne went low so when they crashed together, Undyne caught Annisa around her torso and lifted before slamming her down on the unforgiving ground.

“Oooh!” Hell cringed, pressing his fist to his mouth as her back hit the ground and he heard her breath huff out of her body harshly. She looked dazed for a moment and Hell was sure she was done only to be surprised as her amber eyes snapped into focus abruptly, and her legs lifted, hooking around Undyne’s neck and seizing one of her arms, locking her other leg in place. Hell wasn’t really sure what he saw but he was pretty sure that Annisa was strangling Undyne.

Sighing he approached, “Mornin’, ladies.” He greeted casually; his hands shoved into his pockets. Neither woman greeted him with so many words but he took what he could get.

“I was gonna head to Muffets; ya want anything?” Once again, wordless responses greeted him. He nodded, “You got it. Don’t dust each other while I’m gone.” He then turned and walked away. He hadn’t said anything to either of them but his ability to shortcut had come back earlier that week. He hadn’t been all that surprised that it was the first ability he got back first but since he hadn’t told them and didn’t want them piecing it together, he didn’t use it to get to the bakery.

His grimace returned as the storefront came into view, “Don’t ever say I don’t do anything nice for you.” He muttered under his breath. Coming to Muffet’s was a bit of a risk since the spider monster did not like him, and that was putting it mildly. Hell knew her weakness, though and was willing to pay, literally. He sighed and opened the door, letting it swing open, staying out of the doorway. Reaching his pocket, he pulled out the coins and shook them in his hand so they jangled together in his hand and cautiously moved his hand into the doorway.

“I thought we agreed.” Hissed the feminine voice from within, “That I’d never see you again, cretin.”

Hell removed his hand from the doorway chuckling, “I don’t recall that agreement.”

“You absolute piece of—”

“Aw, Muff, don’t be like that! After I serenaded you and everything.” He let the coins bump against each other again and grinned as she quieted, “Now, you and me both know I’d spend this at Grillby’s. You trying to tell me my gold ain’t good here?”

“You? Spend gold at Grillby’s?” She sneered, “Is that matchstick still allowing you to have an open tab?”

“Oooh, I’mma tell!” He sang. He’d never admit he jumped when something heavy struck the wall opposite of where he stood. Since he didn’t hear whatever it was hit the ground, it probably embedded itself in the wall. Yikes.

“ _What. Do you. Want?_ ”

“Two spider donuts and two spider ciders, please!” Silence greeted his cheery request and he was tempted to scrap the plan.

“Sans.” The use of his name and the tone had him stilling, “What are you doing here? What could possibly cause a monster like _you_ to risk your neck?”

“Heh, what’s with the interrogation, Muff?” He asked jauntily, “My gold really not good here anymore?”

“We’re fresh out.” Her tone was flat.

Hell clicked his tongue, “C’mon, Muff!” Silence. Again. He stiffened as he noticed the door beginning to close. He frowned, puzzled but then noticed the thin line of silk connected to the top corner of the door. She really wasn’t going to take his gold. He clenched his hands, the coins digging into his palm of his hand.

“Undyne’s…” His voice rough with emotion, his mind scrambling for how he wanted to phrase this. He noticed that the door’s path had slowed to a halt when he spoke, “Undyne’s thirsty.” He finally grated out.

“And the other?” Came the reply a short moment later.

“For a friend.”

“You don’t have any friends, Sans.”

Well, ouch. Leave it to Muffet to cut right down to the marrow; she was always good at that, “It’s for a friend.” He stubbornly repeated.

There was no response from the parlor and Hell was growing impatient with this whole thing. This was the dumbest idea ever. Why’d he even bother if she wasn’t even going to—“Well?!” He snapped.

“Ahu-hu-hu! Very well.” She sounded pleased as punch and he had to struggle to reign in his temper. In his current condition, even with his shortcuts restored, he was no match for her. A spider dropped from the top f the doorway holding a little sack made of spider thread, “Your payment, cretin.” She purred from within. He dropped the coins in but the spider didn’t move, “And for my damaged wall.”

Stifling a curse, he dug out more coins and dropped them in. The spider retreated and movement down at his feet had him looking down. A platter, held by a couple spider was waiting for him, a sack and two cups balanced on top. He stooped and claimed what was his and the platter retreated back into Muffet’s parlor. The door slammed shut without another word from the spider woman.

“Pleasure doin’ business with you.” He muttered and walked away. When he finally returned to Undyne’s, the woman herself and Annisa were laying supine on the ground, Undyne’s head resting on Annisa’s stomach. They looked completely wiped. He approached and peered down at them. Annisa opened her eyes first, she gave a week smile and equally weak wave.

“Heya, Hells. Wha’s up? Aside from you?” She drawled, sounding exhausted.

He snorted and then gently nudged Undyne with his foot, “Look alive, ‘dyne. I come bearing gifts.”

Undyne’s eye opened and she blinked up at him, “Eh, whatcha got?” She rasped.

Annisa attempted to sit up, which prompted Undyne to sit up. Both women groaned but didn’t stand, in fact, they looked perfectly happy to remain seated there on the ground. They looked up at him expectantly and he snorted, passing out the spoils.

“Oooh, this smells heavenly.” Annisa cooed, cradling her cup. She took a sip and gave a happy wiggle.

Undyne stared at the donuts then up at Hell, her eye wide, “You went to Muffet’s? Have you lost your mind?” She whispered in horror.

“Why, what’s wrong with Muffet’s?” Annisa had just been about to take a bite of her donut.

“Nothing’s wrong with it, she just…hates Sans enough that she said she’d dust him if she ever saw him again.”

“What, and you just waltzed on over there and got us this amazing…uh, what is this?” Annisa frowned at her cup.

“Spider cider. Spider donut.” He shrugged, growing uncomfortable over the reverent looks he was getting from the two of them, “S’no big deal.” He looked away from them, purple faintly dusting his cheek bones.

Undyne looked down at the cider in her hand silently before she looked at the two of them, her expression solemn, “Thanks, guys.”

Annisa and Hell traded a look before nodding in unison, “No problem.” She replied quietly.

**Third Week**

“Throw me.”

“…what?”

“Throw me!”

“That’s gonna be a ‘no’ from me, Gecko.”

“C’moooooon! I wanna get up high on that pile!” Annisa pointed to the peak of a particularly high mound of garbage, “I’m a dragon without wings and I dream of flying. Don’t crush my dream, Hells!” She tugged at his sleeve. He was back in his favorite red hoodie much to his relief. The next time Annisa handled the laundry, he’d been awake and she’d taken advantage of that and bullied him down into the laundry room to teach him how to use the washer. It had been a reminder that she wasn’t always going to be here and he didn’t want to think about how that thought soured his mood a little.

“You’re insane.”

“No, no, no.” She waggled her claw at him, grinning broadly, “I am Annisa, and I could be flying.” Annisa batted her lashes at him imploringly.

“Just climb!”

“I might not make it to the top, though! Things will be falling as I ascend and I’ll never make it to the peak!”

“Your reasoning is flawed.”

“My reasoning is flawless, you mean.”

“That’s not what I meant, actually.”

“Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeells!” She whined, letting her head drop back as she continued to tug on his sleeve.

“You want some cheese with that whine?” He snarked.

She was silent for a few moments, “Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeese”

“You’re gonna get hurt.” He tried.

“Nuh-uh, know why?” She grinned up at him.

“Enlighten me.”

“Because I. Believe. In you!” She booped the tip of his nasal ridge, making him jerk back in surprise and scowl down at her, “Also, I’m good at landing on my feet, I’ll be fine!”

He huffed, “Do you also believe you can fly?” But then he gasped in horror as he saw a spark in her amber eyes.

“I do!” Her grin gained a mischievous glint, “I believe I can touch the sky.”

“Don’t—”

I think about it every night and day

“No, please.” He begged as she began singing, her eyes laughing.

Spread my wings and fly away

“What have I done?” He groaned into his hands which were now covering his face.

I believe I can sooooooar—

“If I do this will you stop singing?” He asked desperately

Annisa’s silence was answer enough. Without ceremony, he spun her around, grabbed the back of her shirt and the back of her pants and flung her up high towards the giant pile.

“EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!” He heard her squeal and then grunt as she landed. There was a bit of crashing noise which gave him a bit of anxiety that only abated when she finally called down, “I’m good! Thank you!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” He shook he head as she heard him chortle and turned his attention to less lofty heights for his spoils. His diligence wasn’t paying off today, though. He distantly realized it was because he was too busy listening for sounds of distress from above. Her time here was…coming to an end. He knew she knew it. They’d been experimenting, after all which was how he knew she could now wiggle out of his blue magic. Thinking about it made him grimace but also amazed him. The Brat was the only one who could shake his blue magic and that was only in one timeline and the they hadn’t so much as “shaken” the magic but had “broken” out.

That timeline had been bonkers.

No, Annisa sort of slipped out of his grasp; it was like trying to hold water. It made sparring with her interesting. She was fast, precise, and more often than not forced him to defend himself physically. Undyne was over the moon that Annisa had managed to make him more active. Even his sleep schedule had shifted over time; he didn’t sleep for as long anymore, which had creeped him out.

It still creeped him out.

He was awake too much.

His sockets narrowed as he looked up at the peak. She’d disappeared from his view, which was vaguely worrying.

“Gecko? Where’d you go?” He called up, his sockets narrowing.

“Huh? I’m still here? Oh, I can’t see you anymore. I just moved around to the other side, I’m fine—” Her words cut off with a gasp and a shriek that had Hell’s soul freezing. He didn’t even think before taking a shortcut to the top. He landed at the peak and immediately lost his balance. He noticed Annisa’s head whip around to look at him, her eyes widening as he began sliding, his arms wind-milling uselessly. She didn’t appear to be in danger, which was great. Him sliding down this ridiculous trash mountain; not so great. He watched her reach forward and grab the front of his sweatshirt and it would have worked…if she’d been standing on steady ground. As it was, his added weight destabilized her footing as well and she began sliding after him. Thinking quickly, he used her arm to tug her towards him, wrapping his own arms around her, he took a shortcut as they fell, straight to the bottom of the pile. He grunted as his back impacted with the ground, Annisa’s added weight not helping with how hard he hit.

They lay there for a moment, her breathing labored as adrenaline coursed through her system, pinned effectively against Hell’s sternum. He groaned and she stiffened and struggled, managing to sit up a little so she could look at him.

“Hells?” She panted.

“Present.” He groaned again, his sockets closed, brow bones furrowed.

Annisa began patting him down frantically, “Did you break anything?” Sitting up further, she reached up to turn his head gently, trying to see if he’d damaged his skull at all.

“Ugh, give me a moment.” He stiffened as she began pushing his sweatshirt up to get a look at his ribcage, “DON’T!” He barked, making her jump and freeze. His sockets had flown open, red and purple eye lights blazing in his face, making her blink at him owlishly.

“You are hurt.” Her voice was low, horrified.

“No. Just—” He moved her hands gently and pushed his sweatshirt back down, closing his sockets again, “Just give me a moment, Gecko.” He sighed.

“…okay.” He felt her shift and had to control his reaction as he realized she’d been straddling him this whole time. She really was a small thing, “Sorry for yelling.’” He rumbled.

“Okay.”

He snorted at her response and opened one eye socket; his purple eye light still illuminated as it regarded her. Her expression was neutral and she was holding something. He frowned and his other socket opened, “What’d you find?” He lifted a hand which he belated noticed had been resting on her thigh to point at what looked like an instrument case.

“Hm? Oh!” She looked down at her find as if she’d forgotten she was holding it, “I haven’t opened it yet but I’m hoping it’s a violin or viola!”

“Well, open ‘er up and let’s have a look-see.” Her eyes brightened with excitement and she wiggled a bit, making him grit his teeth. She didn’t notice his struggle, though, as she gently placed the case on his sternum and undid the latches, lifting the lid. She clicked her tongue and he shifted a bit, “That bad?” In response, she turned the case so he could see. It looked like a violin but it had definitely seen better times. The fingerboard and tailpiece were missing and it was absolutely filthy.

“She’s seen some better days. I know someone who could get her back up to snuff, though.”

“You gonna let them fiddle around with it?” His grin broadened.

Annisa closed her eyes and squeezed them closed, “I can’t stand you.”

He chuckled, “Now, I know that’s a lyre.”

“UGH!” She closed the case, secured it and clambered off of him. He felt a mild stab of regret but reluctantly sat up too, climbing to his feet with a groan. He didn’t miss the concerned look she tossed him.

“You wanna get some Grillby’s?” He asked to distract her, “I could use a burg.”

“You could always use a burg.” She rolled her eyes scoffing.

“Truer words have never been spoken.” He intoned seriously. He offered his hand and when she took it, they both disappeared from the dump

“Remind me again why I let you talk me into this?” Hell walked with Annisa towards his house.

“You wanted to show off your super cool house to me. I had nothing to do with it.” She responded innocently, grinning. It became a laugh as he snorted and shook his head.

Anything he was about to say was interrupted as a rabbit monster came running into view, clearly distressed. He saw them and made his frantic way over to them, tripping and falling at Annisa’s feet. She immediately knelt to help him up, recognizing him as being with the group that had pulled her into her first formal encounter during her stay here.

“Bogie! What’s wrong?” She asked.

The mottled gray rabbit monster clutched at her arms, his eyes wild with panic, “K-k-killing. They’re killing everybody.” He managed to gasp out. Annisa’s stomach dropped and she went cold.

“Where?” She growled. Bogie pointed behind him, further along the path and into the forest, his paw trembling. Annisa looked back at Hell who had been curiously quiet. His eye lights were gone again and his grin was strained. He remained quiet even under her scrutiny and she clenched her teeth before turning back to Bogie, “Get somewhere safe, warn those you come across.” She ordered then released him and took off down the path.

“Annisa!” She heard Hell call out behind her and almost stopped when he used her actual name. Almost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp...
> 
> [My tumblr](https://moodykitsune.tumblr.com/)


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